The Killing Machine
by sollyinpurplepants
Summary: It has been a week since Hercules saved Ten Cents from the clutches of Timberwolf, and the switcher wakes up to find himself at Lucky's Yard. He learns that tragedy has struck the Z Stacks, but as the Star and Zero Fleets try to cope, tensions seen and unseen threaten to tear them apart... Rated T (eventually M) for language and violence
1. Prologue: Grief

**This has been in the planning stages for months, but the first chapter of the sequel to Death on the Water is finally here! It was originally going to be simply an exploration of how the Z Stacks dealt with a tragic event, but it turned into a much deeper story. I decided to start things a bit differently with a prologue here. Note that it takes place immediately after the final chapter of Death on the Water!**

Hercules and Grampus quickly rushed Ten Cents to Lucky's Yard, unsure of how much time the switcher had left. Ten Cents was teetering between consciousness and unconsciousness, and at times they had to check and make sure that he was still alive. They soon reached their destination, and Hercules soon backed off.

"Hercules, where are you going?" Grampus asked, startled by what his friend was doing. "Ten Cents needs you by his side!"

"I need to inform Star and the others about what happened Grampus. I'm sure Lucky and his men will be giving him a ring shortly, but I want to show them the damage Timberwolf has done." Hercules calmly explained. "Let me know if anything changes."

"Yessir!" Grampus replied, still showing visible concern. He looked on up towards the sky, wondering if there would be anything that would help Ten Cents survive. He was an innocent tug captured on spurious charges, and he swept in to save another's life. His blood began to boil, and he wondered if anything could have been done sooner to prevent such an event from happening.

Hercules set off for the Star Dock and was feeling furious, but the reason for his anger was for a different reason. He had to confront and argue, but he wanted to do it in a place where no one could see or hear him. With Zorran vanishing, he could not afford to do anything that would blow his cover. While he was in his trail of thought, a deep whistle drew his attention to see who it was.

"Hercules, is something wrong?" OJ asked, looking at the ocean tug. "You almost collided with that quay over there, so I blew my whistle to make sure you didn't hit it. Knowing you and all, it is unusual for you to be behaving this way. Sunshine did mention you going off to find Ten Cents."

Hercules wanted to remain quiet and just hurry on to vent out his frustrations (and have a word with Sunshine about his affairs), but it was difficult to do with OJ there. The mere mention of Ten Cents' name started putting him on edge, making it more difficult to concentrate. Finally, he let out a deep sigh and said, "Ten Cents was located, but he's been taken to Lucky's. Apparently Timberwolf had stolen dynamite and was planning on blowing him up." As he spoke, each word was tinted with anger.

"My God." OJ paled at the words, and struggled to process what he was told. "Did... did they succeed?" The Navy, try to blow up a Star Tug? It was way too difficult to imagine, and practically impossible to believe Hercules's words.

"No." Was Hercules's reply. "I managed to pull him out, but Timberwolf caught us. He tried to save me, but took some hits. It was a miracle he survived." He soon made a motion as if he was inviting OJ to come and see.

OJ was dumbstruck, but his blood was boiling. However, it was best to not complain as it led to chaos. He nodded and followed the ocean tug towards Lucky's. When he arrived, he gasped. "What the-"

"Now you know why I had to go in. The wounds would have been much worse had it not been for me." Hercules replied, his voice unusually somber. "I should get to telling the others OJ."

OJ was at a loss of words, and simply hurried over to be with the master switcher. "I'll keep him close, and make sure he's safe and sound."

Hercules gave a small smile before hurrying out of Lucky's Yard. Now to get back to what he really needed to do. To confront the Reaper who had likely put Ten Cents through Hell and back with what he did. He spotted some canals and hurried over, hoping the hustle and bustle of rail traffic would conceal the impending argument.

As if on cue, Hades manifested in the water. It was a miracle that only the ships had faces in these parts, as the steam engines who worked at this part of the country would have screamed and called for help. "You need something? At a railyard? You escort boats not-"

"We need to talk Hades." Hercules interrupted. "What were you doing that caused Ten Cents to, you know, change? Why was it in your best interests to do such a thing?"

The air grew cold, and Hades gave a hiss in response to Hercules' question. Although he could resist, he would simply make his host more difficult to reason with. Finally, he muttered something in an otherworldly language and said, "I mostly did it for your sake. The bond you have with him was much stronger than what you have with the others. Even stronger than your relations with the lightship."

Hercules stood back, startled by what Hades admitted. Nevertheless, he remained cool and calm. "You heard me earlier, the bond we have is brotherly. He didn't trust me when I first arrived, but now he looks up to me for advice." He explained. "I dote on him and the others, even when I'm doing long distance contracts. What you did was ruin that bond!"

"I only strengthened that bond love." Hades retorted. "He now cannot die unless you die. Not one stick of dynamite lobbed at him will kill him."

"You mean... you mean..." The ocean tug was livid, but it was useless to rampage at a railyard. Finally, he growled in defeat and said, "Whatever you did, it will come to bite you."

"You mean us." Hades chuckled, vanishing away. "Face it Hercules, the moment you asked me to save him from plague was the moment I started influencing him."

Hercules was left standing, now wondering what was there to do. He couldn't simply let Hades get away with it! However, Ten Cents was practically saved because of him. He quietly hurried home, showing defeat...


	2. Chapter 1: Revival

**The first official chapter of The Killing Machine is up! I decided that the rest of the Star Tugs, as well as the Z Stacks, would get more active roles in this story than what they had in Death on the Water. Hopefully this chapter should be a good start! :)**

Ten Cents woke up and found himself in a place that was unusually calm and tranquil. There were buildings and equipment, but there was no one but him. He immediately panicked and started wandering around in an effort to find a way out. Eventually, he reached the open ocean. To his surprise, it was still quiet and calm. However, in the distance, a blanket of fog was rolling in. He figured it must have been normal, and decided to turn back to the safety of the harbor.

Just as he turned around however, he felt something grab him on the sides. It didn't feel like ropes or even chains, and he immediately tried to throw off the force to no avail. Then, a large maroon shape emerged from the fog, but the shape didn't look like a vessel. Instead, it was like a sea monster that appeared in old statues and paintings. In an instant, the shape changed into a distinct red mist. Ten Cents could only stare on with terror in his eyes, trying to recall if he had seen the creature before.

Just as when all was lost, a voice sounding like Sunshine's was calling him, pleading for him to wake up. Ten Cents shut his eyes, hoping that salvation would soon come. When he woke up, he found himself at Lucky's Yard and the other Star Tugs docked right nearby. The cool sea breeze and warm sun helped pull him back into reality, reminding him that he was still alive.

"Ten Cents!" Sunshine exclaimed, drawing up his anchor and sailing as close as was permissible.

"Oh hey!" Ten Cents smiled, the first in a long while. "Where am I?"

"Lucky's Yard!" OJ replied, letting out a small chuckle. "Hercules and Grampus brought you here last week after you got into a nasty accident."

"Thank goodness yer alive!" Warrior chimed in, blowing his hooter in celebration. "We thought you kicked the bucket-"

"Don't corrupt his ears with that sort of talk Warrior. Anyways, this city was starting to get boring without you." Top Hat said, forcing a smile.

"But Top Hat, you're always complainin' about how dull this place is!" Ten Cents teased, soliciting a groan from the railway tug and a few stifled giggles from Warrior and Sunshine. "Besides, ya see all of our jobs boring and yours exciting!"

"In all seriousness though, we were very worried about you. You were passed out for a week and almost died a few times during the repair process." OJ said, silencing everyone with a blast of his hooter. "We knew that if you did die, the harbor would never be the same. The Stars didn't want to go through what the Zeds are going through right now."

"The Zeds?!" Ten Cents gasped and went silent. So something significant did indeed happen while he was at Lucky's. "What happened to 'em? I mean, I was out for a week!"

After a silent deliberation of who would be breaking the news to the switcher, Big Mac stepped up and said, "Well, somethin' awful happened to the Zeds last week. Zorran just… vanished. No witnesses, no news from anyone up and down the coast. A massive search party was ordered by the Coast Guard, but nothin' turned up."

Ten Cents's face went from shock to fear, and was was mortified such a thing would happen. He knew that Zorran had done illegal work before, but this was not like the harbor tug to vanish for days. "I know that he was bribing Timberwolf with money, but that's it." He said, trying to remember what was happening.

"Sunshine and I had already told you all about it, and we're very furious about it." Hercules calmly called out, steaming into Lucky's Yard. He sailed up and stopped right next to Top Hat, and the railway tug inched away to a safer spot next to Big Mac. "With him vanishing all of the sudden, I suppose she had no use for him anymore and ended him."

As Hercules was talking, Ten Cents looked down and noticed that something about him was changing. The other Star Tugs didn't notice this, yet for some reason, he was. Before his eyes, he watched as Hercules' reflection slowly change hue. He panicked and wanted to sound the alarm, but he felt that something was physically binding him, preventing him from calling for help. To make matters worse, Hercules was simply doing nothing to stop the threat from making itself more obvious.

"Are you alright Ten Cents?" Sunshine asked with a frown, noticing that his friend was nodding off. "You look like you were very worried about something for a second. Lighten up, it'll get better!"

"I'm fine Sunshine." Ten Cents replied, eyes trailing to see that Hercules's reflection had changed to Hades. Alarm bells were ringing in his head, and he tried his best to stay calm without screaming in front of the others. "Just… let me get my check up and I'll see ya back at the Star Dock, okay?" He finally forced a smile, hoping to stop himself from losing it. The last thing he needed was for his friends to get caught up in the path of a murderous being.

The other Star Tugs nodded, and blew their hooters to say goodbye before they hurried out to fulfill contract work. However, for whatever reason, Hercules remained in his spot. Hades looked up at Ten Cents with a wicked grin, as if he was praising the other for not blowing his cover. "I apologize if I came in a little late." Hercules broke the silence, giving a heavy sigh. "I had to hurry back after helping out with a log schooner up the coast."

"It's alright. Real shame you missed the big waking up moment though." Ten Cents smiled and replied. "Did you get a chance to see the repairs Lucky and his crew did? It feels as though I'm a brand new switcher!" He playfully asked, trying to lighten the mood after seeing such a thing.

"I can see it from over here old darling." Hercules chuckled, feigning annoyance and shaking his head. "I noticed you were getting very antsy when I got here. Did something catch your eye?"

"I saw Hades in the water." The switcher blurted out before he went silent. "I was worried he was going to kill-"

"He won't kill the other Stars. If he even considered murdering them, he would have to get past me first." Hercules assuredly said, glaring at Hades for a second. "He was just as worried about you during that period of time as we were. But I suppose I'm to blame for making him feel that way."

"Heh I figured." Ten Cents sighed a breath of relief and watched as some men were walking towards him. He was startled that the men didn't notice Hades watching the events with interest, and he started to wonder if the Reaper could only make himself visible to a select few. "I gotta get my check up now. See ya!"

"Likewise my little angel." Hercules replied, blowing his hooter before sailing off to get washed up. "I'll see you later on this afternoon, just don't fool around and get yourself in a mess. Starr already has lots of grey hairs from the whole repair process and we don't want more."

For whatever reason, Ten Cents stiffened up and felt himself lose control. He wanted- no, needed to leave and trail behind Hercules. However, his words caused those urges to die down quickly, and the switcher was soon back to normal. He didn't even know what had happened, yet he was sure something crazy was happening to him. He was going to have a word with the ocean tug once he got back to the Star Dock.

Later on that afternoon, Ten Cents was sailing home. He was given the all clear, but some of the workers suggested that he do light work until he was ready to resume normal tugging duties. He was eager to get back to doing what he did best, and hopefully not have to endure any more pain and trauma. At least, for a little bit.

As he sailed on, he decided that a surprise visit to Sunshine was in order. Besides, he figured, the smaller switcher was somewhere in the harbor doing work. Easing his burdens sounded sensible, and would get him praise. As he sailed on towards the harbor, he heard a choked sob and stopped. He turned to look and see Zug looking around, and it was obvious that the Z Stack was in a state of grief.

"What's gotten into your head Zug?" He called out, hoping to try and get Zug to calm down. "Zorran should be back soon, so you should-"

"Everyone's been telling me that!" Zug said between tears, looking at Ten Cents. He soon got rather furious and said, "Get lost Star, I don't need ya making the pain worse. Zorran being gone is-"

A loud whistle caused both Ten Cents and Zug to turn their attention to Zip, and he was unusually frantic. "Zug there you are! We need to get back before Zero kills us!" He turned to Ten Cents and said, "I'm sorry about Zug, it's that he's been sad for days. Now to find that coal barge…"

Ten Cents hurried off, questions running through his head. Zorran's disappearance did indeed happen, and Zug was visible proof of the aftermath. Now he wanted to figure out why the leader of the Z Stacks vanished. He shook his worries aside and continued on. Hopefully Sunshine would rag along in this latest adventure.


	3. Chapter 2: Denial

**I LIVE! School and work (I'm doing a summer class) have made me busy, and I got into a bit of writer's block as I couldn't figure out what to do with the story. But alas, I wrote up a new chapter! This one was on the backburner, but was never properly finished. Anyways... enjoy!**

A few days had passed since Ten Cents returned home from Lucky's Yard, and he was now able to do normal contracts again. Despite the dream involving the strange creature, he was mostly mentally stable, and hoped that life would return back to normal. The last thing he needed was more pain and trauma caused by Hades. The other Star Tugs were pleased to have him back and working regular contracts again, as they could now focus on their normal line of work as opposed to doing Ten Cents' jobs. Despite their occasional dealings with the Z Stacks, they operated like if nothing ever happened.

It was the first week of May, and OJ was towing a cargo vessel to port. It was a simple job yes, but it would help bring Captain Starr some money. While he was sailing, he noticed something out in the distance. He squinted to see what it was, but his poor vision made it hard for him to properly identify what it was. Instinctively, he blew his hooter to alert whatever it was that he was coming with a ship in tow. Hopefully the shape was simply just a pleasure boat or even a tugboat.

The shape blew its whistle in return, and it began moving forward. OJ's suspicions that it was a ship were confirmed, but he wondered if it was heading in some opposite direction. As he reached the harbor limits, he was greeted by Zug. What was he doing out here by the harbor limits? "Zug-"

"No saying 'Zug' to me gramps!" The switcher said, and his eyes showed despair. Zorran's disappearance was really getting to him now. "Zak said that Zorran got abducted by rum pirates, and now I'm wondering if you had something to do with it!"

"Rum pirates?" OJ was confused. "The rum pirates operated in Florida last I heard. I don't think Zorran would have enough coal to get down there for rum running operations. Besides-"

"Besides what?" Zug asked, sweating nervously. "It's not like I have any sort of contracts that I need to do!"

"Zug get back here!" Zebedee called, steaming up to the two tugs. "Captain Zero wanted us to do that steel contract, and your crap isn't getting us anywhere. What would Zero and Zorran think if you didn't do your work?" Zug went silent and hurried off, not looking back at Zebedee and OJ. His leader did have a point. Even if Zorran was gone, Zug was certain that Zorran would have given him a lashing. Doing things like this would have also gotten him in trouble with Zero, if not the Port Authority.

"You need to keep an eye on him Zebedee." The paddlewheel tug said in a firm voice, watching Zug disappear into the bustling harbor. "Zorran's disappearance has really affected him, and you need to show that you're there for him. You also need to make sure he doesn't get himself hurt."

"My life is hard as is Star!" Zebedee snapped, the stresses of the day finally caught up to him. However, OJ did have a point. Although Zug looked up to Zorran with fascination and awe, Zorran often verbally abused him or simply left him behind when things went awry. "I can't… simply be the father figure for this kid. He needs Zorran."

"He obsesses over Zorran despite the abuse." OJ remarked, remaining calm despite the lashing from Zebedee. "You need to show him that you are not like Zorran. He and Zip need a better role model, and you must fill in that position now."

Zebedee simply huffed and hurried off for the steel contract, wondering if Zug made it to the factory safe and sound. However, what OJ was saying was troubling him deeply. He simply couldn't both lead the fleet and keep Zug and Zip safe! It was one or the other, and it was getting on his nerves.

A few hours passed, and Zebedee was now on his way to the fueling depot. He found Zug talking to some Coast Guard vessels while they were working, but they had no news. When he arrived at the fueling depot, he spotted OJ talking to Top Hat. He hurried over to a different dock in the fueling depot, hoping to listen.

"Zug tried asking me if Zorran was abducted by rum runners, and if I had anything to do with it." OJ told Top Hat, letting out a heavy sigh. "Luckily Zebedee stepped in and stopped him, but I told him to keep an eye on the lad."

"Zug has always been problematic, but his recent behavior is inexcusable. I ran into him today and he asked if I saw any sign of Zorran." Top Hat complained, watching as fuel lines were being attached to him. "If I were in Zebedee or even Captain Zero's position, I would have him dry docked."

"Dry dock drives a ship crazy Top Hat! Do you want him to be in the same situation as Timberwolf?" The paddlewheel tug said, shooting down the suggestion. Just a few days before, Timberwolf had her court martial and was put on dry dock as punishment. The fact she was now mute made it unbearable for her, to the point she would have been driven to insanity.

"Personally yes, Zorran had been collaborating with her." Top Hat replied, still hurting over the events that led up to Ten Cents getting falsely arrested. And nearly killed. "But I suppose you do have a point. If I was put on dry-"

"Not now Top Hat." OJ chided. He looked down at the water and said in a quiet voice, "Hopefully Zebedee does something to help Zug soon. It might be just my opinion, but Zug might try to… sink himself."

Zebedee went pale, and his heart sank. Zug? Sink himself? The switcher was cowardly and often hurried off when things went wrong, but this was beyond him. Even if he was desperate to be with Zorran if worse came to worse, it was simply unacceptable. Once OJ and Top Hat left, the Z Stack broke down in tears.


	4. Chapter 3: Nightmare

**I return! I am taking a summer course, but it should be ending next week. Once that is done, expect more from me. There is some dark stuff in there, so head's up for those who are sensitive to gore. Enjoy~**

At the same time, Ten Cents was doing some dredging with Sunshine and Scuttlebutt Pete. The work was slow, but it gave him time to catch up with the operator with what had happened. There were still things he missed out on during his stay at Lucky's, and so a lengthy conversation started. Most of it was just harbor gossip and speculation of what had happened to Zorran, but something Ten Cents said caught Pete by surprise.

"Herc and Captain Starr had gone down to Boston for the court martial." Ten Cents said, trying to remember what the ocean tug had told him. "However, Timberwolf can't talk. Like at all. Do you guys know what happened?"

"Timberwolf not talkin'?" Pete scratched his head at the information, wondering on what to say. "I know the patrol vessels talked about her behind her back around the time of her arrest, but they wouldn't say anything else. They might have beaten her up, which explains why she can't speak."

Timberwolf, beaten up by the patrol vessels? Something was not right. Navy patrol vessels were often cowardly, and violence against a Navy tug was a death sentence. "I thought they all ran home to their home base!" Sunshine exclaimed, trying to process the information.

"I heard several went missing when Hercules came and saved Ten Cents." Pete added. "No one has been able to find them so far, and some say that they got sunk. Or got detained."

Ten Cents was troubled, and he was now wondering if Hercules did anything too horrific during the rescue mission. The rumor that several patrol vessels went missing was starting to gnaw at him, but it quickly followed with the worry of Hades's involvement in this. What sort of reason would someone like Hades have in the rescue mission? Unless…

"Hey Ten!" Sunshine called, snapping the older switcher back to reality. "You weren't looking so fine for a sec. Is somethin' on your mind?"

"I'm fine Sun." Ten Cents replied, letting out a heavy sigh. "I was thinking a bit about the rescue mission for a sec. Worst thing is, I still don't exactly know what happened. I know what happened the night before, but that's it."

Sunshine frowned, but then he gave a small grin. "Don't fuss too much about it Ten Cents! Besides, you have a long life ahead of you." He replied, his tone now positive.

"Ah shucks Sun, you don't have to be _that_ kind!" Ten Cents teased, now in better spirits. "Come on, let's get this dredging done. I think Pete's starting to get impatient!"

"Hey!" Pete shouted, feigning annoyance at Ten Cents's words. However, he happily helped out with dredging work, and by the end of the afternoon, the work was completed.

That evening, an evening shower rolled in to Bigg City. It was not threatening, but it was not bothersome either. Instead, it felt relaxing. The vessels did not mind this, as they were frequently used to the elements and what they brought.

At the Star Dock, the fleet were anchored and fast asleep. Hercules had gone up the coast to assist with some contracts up north, but Big Mac and OJ were helping keep the remaining Star Tugs in line. So far, aside from the disappearance of Zorran, nothing unusual had happened.

Ten Cents was fast asleep when he heard a scream. He hurriedly woke up and looked around to see what the source of the noise was, but was disappointed to see that nothing would show. He was about to go back to sleep when he saw a Navy patrol vessel tied up near the entrance of the dock. The vessel's face was horribly maimed, with fluids seeping from his eyes.

Ten Cents gasped and hurriedly closed his eyes, hoping that the awful sight was just a figment of his imagination. After a few minutes, he nervously opened one eye, and was relieved to see that the vessel was gone. So it was just an illusion after all. With a quiet sigh of relief, he fell into an uneasy sleep.

The switcher woke up to find himself at the Navy base, but he noticed that there were no guards. He didn't have any recollection what happened at the base, so why was he here? With a gulp, Ten Cents inched out of his spot. To his surprise, no one came to tell him to get back into his position. He left a shed, still impressed that there was no one out to get him. He chuckled and thought 'This should be easy! No one is out to get-'

Ten Cents was mistaken. As he sailed along, he noticed that several patrol vessels were in various states of death and semi-death. Some were even sliced in half, their eyes looking on at Ten Cents as if they were warning him to run. The switcher screamed and hurried off from the scene of the carnage, not wanting to suffer the same fate as the vessels. He hurried on up until the entrance of the canals, pleased that there was nothing suspicious.

'Freedom!' He thought to himself. but the moment he inched forward, he noticed a maroon tug out in the distance. Ten Cents immediately realized who the tug was and stopped, wondering what _he_ was doing here. Hades turned to face the switcher and chuckled, as if he were telling him that he couldn't escape his fate. Ten Cents tried to inch forward again in defiance, but Hades would have none of it. Instead, he rushed forward, transforming into a monster beyond description.

"Ten Cents wake up!" Those words snapped Ten Cents back to reality, and he woke up in a cold sweat. He looked around to see that no one was dead; rather, the Star Tugs were very much alive. That was one scary dream if that was the case. The Star Tugs all turned to face him, as if they were worried about him.

"Did I miss anything guys?" He asked, letting out a loud yawn.

"No, thank goodness." Top Hat replied. "However, Starr is about to do his briefing in the next… five minutes."

"You were sweatin' up a storm back there lad." Big Mac added. "Aside from that, nothin' too serious happened in the night."

Ten Cents sighed a breath of relief, relieved that he was indeed dreaming. "Enough chit chat, we got a briefing to do!" He chuckled, easing up almost immediately.

The briefing was mostly uneventful, as Captain Starr handed out the daily tasks that needed to be done for the day. However, there was something that caused alarm amongst the Star Tugs. "Captain Zero's fleet has been struggling with work ever since Zorran vanished. If needed, go out of their way and help them out with work." He explained.

"Going out our way?" Top Hat raised an eyebrow in confusion at those words. "What are we then if we work with those cretins, Zero supporters-"

"This is not Zero support Top Hat. At this rate, tensions are so high between the Zeds that getting normal work done is impossible for them." Captain Starr snapped. Oh how that railway tug loved to complain about the most pointless things. "I will assign you garbage duty for the rest of the week if you keep this up Top Hat."

Top Hat went silent, and the other Star Tugs were alarmed. "The Zeds are not the kindest folk around captain, maybe we should still exercise caution." OJ said, knowing all too well their various schemes and ways of getting on top. "I don't want anyone to get hurt from this."

While OJ and Captain Starr were talking, Ten Cents and Sunshine looked at each other with worried eyes. The Z Stacks were their rivals yes, but the disappearance of Zorran was forcing them out of their comfort zones. Once the briefing ended, the switchers hurried off to go up to Up Town for a contract. It was a simple contract that involved hauling railroading equipment, and the equipment would then be transferred to areas that could not be easily accessible by river.

Once Ten Cents and Sunshine got their needed barge, they set off for Up Town. Once they approached the main path towards Up Town, they noticed Zip and Zug working with a shabby barge. Perhaps they were punished and forced to work the sewage contract. The smell was repulsive, and the Zero switchers were clearly miserable. Zug was struggling to stay emotionally stable, and Zip was trying to make sure Zug would not burst in tears.

"Hey guys!" Zip called, wanting to be polite. "You looking for something?"

"We're going to Up Town!" Sunshine replied, blowing his hooter in reply. "Do you guys need help with anything? The work is awfully smelly, but we have time!"

Zip smiled, as he wanted the work to get done as quickly as possible. In a happy tone, he said, "Yeah sure! The barge is barely stable as-"

"Refuse their offer you idiot! We can work by ourselves!" Zug snapped, trying to silence the younger Z Stack with a glare. "We don't work with Stars unless needed. Period!"

"Sorry guys, it's just that Zug's going through his Zorran phase." Zip frowned, and it was clear he wanted to get away from Zug and his influence. "Now now Zug, this work is smelly. Would Zero be happy if we _don't_ do the work?"

"Zero won't be happy if the Stars help us you ass!" Zug spat, and Zip started to sob. He turned to face Ten Cents and Sunshine and said, "Get lost. Even if Zorran is missing, I want to make sure his memory is respected."

Ten Cents wanted to help, and something inside him stirred. It was unwise to physically lash out at Zug, but he wanted to make Zug learn a lesson. "You ought to give him a fright Ten." A voice in his head said. "Make him writhe, learn he needs help."

"A fright?" Ten Cents asked the voice, suspicious of its motive. "I don't want anyone to get hurt! I don't want to get me and Sunshine into trouble!"

"The opportunity is quickly fading Ten. Show him that you mean business." The voice said, now more demanding.

Zip was now sobbing, and Zug was trying to get him to focus. Ten Cents growled and inched up to the Zero switcher, his eyes starting to change color. "You stop bothering Zip this instant Zug." He said, his voice now serious.

"Or what? Cry to your captain that I'm being mean?" Zug asked, but the way Ten Cents was acting was making him nervous. Had he pushed the Star switcher to his limit?

"It won't be me crying. It'll be you!" Ten Cents snapped, eyes glowing red. "Now leave Zip and us alone and beat it!"

Zug panicked, noticing that only _he_ was seeing Ten Cents' change in appearance. Immediately, he broke free of his lines from the barge. He wanted to pick a fight, but he was so frightened that taking on Ten Cents would be suicide. He instead muttered something about forgetting an item in Bigg City and hurried off, leaving Ten Cents, Sunshine, and Zip behind.

"Thanks Ten Cents, but what about the work?" Zip asked. "You guys are gonna be late!"

"Oh right!" Sunshine gasped, and motioned for Ten Cents to come along with him. "Come on now, we got our own work to do! We'll check up on you in the afternoon, okay Zip?"

Ten Cents nodded, and politely bowed before hurrying off. He was getting back to normal, but something was not right. Yes he scared Zug off, but at what cost? Retaliation from Zak? Or Captain Zero himself even? He pushed these thoughts aside and pressed on.

Once the barge was delivered to Up Town, Ten Cents and Sunshine were getting ready to head back. Ten Cents grew bored and started to doze off, as he had nothing better to do. The corner of his eye drew to a twisted shape, and he looked around to see what it was. To his surprise, it was simply water. He shrugged it off as nothing and started to doze off again, but his eyes flashed open when he saw Hamilton.

Hamilton had a massive hole in his engine room, but his engine was nowhere to be seen. His stack was heavily dented and covered in barnacles, and his bow was beyond recognizable. Clearly, something had to have happened for him to appear like this. In a quiet voice, he said, "Help me son…"

Ten Cents started shaking and closed his eyes in a panic, drawing the attention of Sunshine. "Ten, are you okay?" He asked, frowning.

"Do you see Hamilton?" Ten Cents asked, refusing to open his eyes. "Swore I saw him right in front of me!"

"No." Was Sunshine's response. "It's just a ferry. Nothing to be afraid of."

Ten Cents cautiously opened his eyes, and was relieved to see that Hamilton was not there. "Must've been dreaming of some scary stuff. I know OJ mentioned something about seeing things that are not really there." He said, trying to think.

"Maybe it was hallucination." Sunshine replied, remembering that particular conversation as well. "Hercules also mentioned something about our eyes tricking us-"

"So that's what it was! An eye trick!" Ten Cents exclaimed. He was seeing himself as sane! Hopefully these eye tricks would go away and he would be able to live on without any further messes. "Let's get back to Bigg City, and maybe help Zip along the way." Sunshine nodded, and the two friends set off for home.

A few nights later, Ten Cents was fast asleep at the Star Dock. So far, no new nightmares and eye tricks had come up and bothered him. The voice in his head had also gone away, allowing Ten Cents to make rational decisions. This sleep would hopefully be as calm and peaceful as it had been, he figured, as he knew that the others needed him.

He started dreaming, and noticed that he was in the Zero Dock during noonday. Perhaps he was summoned here by Captain Zero as part of a bogus complaint, he mused. He sailed up to the office, but was troubled by what he saw. There, blood was trickling out of the window and down into the concrete. A pool of blood was accumulating close to the dock, and Ten Cents started to inch back nervously. Suddenly, the pool of blood sprang up, twisting and contorting into a variety of shapes. Then, amidst the chaos, Ten Cents saw-

"Zorran, what're you doing in there?" Ten Cents asked, noticing how the Z Stack was trapped. "Stop shapeshifting and get out of my way! Zero needs me for something."

"You gotta get me out of here Tenny, these guys all lost their sanity ages ago!" Zorran said, trying to push off the souls that were aggressively clamoring onto him. "They want me to join their eternal pity party, but I won't have any of it! I just need to get our before he gets back! Or else-"

" _He_?!" Ten Cents was alarmed. "Zorran I don't believe ya for a second! Besides, dreams and illusions aren't real! And I know that this is just a dream!"

"Well this one is not a dream ya dolt!" Zorran snapped, shooting out one of his lines to slap Ten Cents. To their horror however, the line simply disintegrated to nothingness. "What the heck?!"

Ten Cents woke up immediately, looking around to see if anyone was close by. At the corner of his eye, he noticed the large, yet narrow shape of an ocean tug at the entrance to the Star Dock. Perhaps Hercules had just gotten home and was quietly slipping in for a quick nap. Or he or Hades had done something sinister. He squinted and went pale upon seeing who it was. "Hades… what are you doing here at this time of night?" He asked, but he got no response. After a minute, he then asked, "So you were-"

Hades steamed up to Ten Cents with a frown on his face, flashing his serrated teeth to try and silence the other. "You should speak nothing of this matter." He simply stated, noticing how furious Ten Cents was getting. "What you saw in there was a vision, if you will, into my world. This should not have been a part of when I saved you, but it appears I must have added something... extra."

"How does that explain Zorran showing up in my head then, huh?" Ten Cents whispered in an angry tone, not wanting to alert the others to the murderous intruder at the docks. "You can't simply hide the truth-" Before he could continue, he felt his tongue become bound. When he tried speaking, he couldn't!

"I don't like repeating myself my little angel. If you dig too deep, you'll question your existence." Hades hissed, watching how Ten Cents went from furious to frightened. Then, with a wicked grin on his face, he chuckled and asked, "After all, we don't want the entire Star Fleet to die because of my actions, don't we Charon?"

Charon? Who's Charon? Ten Cents wanted to break out of whatever was binding him and ask Hades once more, but he couldn't! Each attempt was futile, as he whined and groaned whenever he tried to force a word out of his mouth. He resigned himself to a state of defeat, and watched in a state of hopelessness as Hades faded into the night...


	5. Chapter 4: Hurricane

**I am back! I finished up my summer course, and I have more time to write. :) However, I plan on doing a thing where I update at least twice a month (gotta give myself time to write and let ideas grow and develop). NefariousScalin has also helped me out when it comes to ideas for possible scenes in this chapter, so kudos to her.**

 **There is language, so be warned (the fact I don't really swear is proof of this ). Enjoy!**

A few days later, Hercules was quietly sailing to the estuary. The waters were relatively calm, making the trip to visit his friend (and lover) Lillie relatively easy. Once he arrived, he quietly greeted Lillie before sailing next to her and dropping his anchor.

"Evening Hercules." Lillie greeted, smiling as she turned to face him. "So how were things these past few weeks?" She asked, wanting to strike up a conversation.

"Going alright love." Hercules replied, humming in content before looking on at the setting sun. "The spring shipping season has kept me fairly busy, but then with the summer season coming up, it's keeping Starr on his toes. I don't mind the work of course, but it does get to a point where you just want to sneak in a few hours of sleep during down time."

"Oh I know the feeling all too well." Lillie chuckled. She was used to working long nights with little to no breaks, and she was often spotted sleeping during the day. "Work has been getting busier and busier with more ships coming in. But I don't mind it at all of course." After a moment, Lillie turned to face Hercules and asked in a calm voice, "Have you heard any news about what happened with Zorran? They say that he's actually being held somewhere in Bigg City against his will. The other cities up and down the coast have been on lookout, but no word."

Zorran? In Bigg City? Hercules was internally panicking, but he remained calm as ever. "It would make sense if a rival of Zero's has taken Zorran captive. He has many seedy collections after all." He said in a calm, almost relaxed tone. He was lying through his teeth of course, but he didn't want to arouse suspicion. "Hopefully he'll be found soon, and in one piece. This matter has been stressing the other Zero tugs for far too long."

Lillie was confused at how calm the ocean tug was about this whole situation. Yes, he was great at suppressing emotions, but this was ridiculous. Unless… he had done something he shouldn't have done. "Hercules, you seem awfully quiet about this whole matter. Did you know what happened to him by any chance?" She asked, showing concern in her eyes.

The words caught Hercules off guard. Now was time to panic. "Why should I be worried about him m'dear? He isn't even part of the Star Fleet." He replied, but he became more visibly nervous.

Lillie noticed this change, and now she became more firm. She replied with, "Past experience love. I know you and your Reaper have a tendency to-"

Finally, Hercules caved in. It was pointless to lie to Lillie, and if she caught him in one, he would definitely get in trouble. "Lillie, I killed Zorran. However, it was justified. He was collaborating with Timberwolf to have me arrested, but Ten Cents stepped in to take his position." He blurted out before looking away. "Hades even absorbed his soul."

The confession surprised Lillie, and she looked away from Hercules in response. She was aware that Hercules's Reaper had a tendency to capture the souls of those who turned on him and subject them to torment. After what looked like an eternity of silence, she whispered, "I… I just need time to process the information. I may have not liked Zorran, but what you did was unjustified. His fleet mates have gone mad because of your actions."

The words hit Hercules hard, and it was hard to come up with a proper response. Lillie had a point after all. Even if Hercules claimed it was justified to kill his biggest opponent, Lillie was quick to point out that his actions had consequences. "Lillie, I think I may need some time alone." He whispered, now struggling to hold back tears.

"I was thinking the same as well." Lillie replied, looking at the water below. "Farewell Hercules." With a sigh and tears in her eyes, she lifted her anchor and sailed off into the sunset.

"Lillie, wait!" Hercules pleaded, but Lillie didn't answer back. Once she wasn't seen, he grit his teeth and tried to not cry. He and Lillie had had problems about this issue before, but it was not like this. Her earlier words were nagging at him, and for the first time in his life, Hercules felt guilty.

"Ya shouldn't have killed me you knob!" Zorran's voice called out, but Zorran did not physically appear. Instead, it was from deep within. Zorran's soul was trapped in a realm that only Hades could access, and he was having a hard time trying to escape the Reaper's clutches. "You just made your girlfriend leave you-"

"We had arguments like this before Zorran." Hercules snapped back mentally, now lifting his anchor and leaving the estuary. "I know she gets upset each time Hades does this. Besides, I figure we should get back in a few weeks. Or a month tops."

Zorran was thoroughly disgusted, and looked around to see if no one was going to rip him apart. With a smirk, he said, "Besides, Ten Cents got very close to learning about what ya did. Hell, I bet ya even Sunshine might-"

However, before Zorran could continue, Hades's misty form appeared before him. "Hello Zorran." He hissed, confidently inching towards the soul with glowing red eyes. "My host is already upset, and you just keep on pushing the knife deep into his spine. Besides, what good is it to you anyway?"

"What're you going to do? Torture me?" Zorran asked. "Break me down until I'm like those idjits? Forget it Hades, you don't have complete domain over me!"

"Well, I want to slap you on the wrist per say. Give your mind a break from my games." Hades smiled, stopping in his tracks to give Zorran space. "I put you through enough this week-"

"Heh you're just lying. You think I'm stupid, but I'm not!" The Z Stack defiantly said, not looking at Hades. "Even if it was legitimate, I won't take you up on your offer."

Hades was… confused to say the very least. He wasn't even lying when he made the offer, but the way Zorran was reacting was leaving him shocked. "Why, I'm being honest!" He said. "You're rude for turning down my offer." When he got no reply, he whispered, "Hercules do something!"

Hercules did not reply, as he had already arrived at his next contract: helping tow a freighter out of port. It should be relatively easy work, but he needed to concentrate. "Hades, can you not fuss over your little pet project? At least for a few hours? This ship needs my attention and I do not want mishaps." He thought, shrugging off the protests as he secured his tow ropes to the freighter.

What happened next caused even Zorran to nervously inch away. Hades was fuming, and to be denied twice in his offers of goodwill set him off. He cursed in a language that no one could understand and vanished into nothing, leaving a confused Zorran. Hercules could feel the anger swell up, and it was tempting to lash out and attack. However, with a freighter in tow, it was difficult to not give in. He finally shrugged off Hades's malicious urges and sailed on, and once the tow was completed, he hurried home with tears in his eyes.

* * *

It was now early June, and things were heating up between the Star Tugs and the Zero Tugs. There were some lucrative contracts up for grabs in the summer season, including one for a towing contract with Cunard Line. However, on the day of the scheduled arrival, the Star Tugs were greeted by Captain Starr. He had with him some papers, and he looked like he was serious.

"I just got a bulletin from the Coast Guard and the Weather Bureau that a massive storm is coming up the East Coast. Based on the reports I've gotten, Bigg City may be caught up in the storm's path. Therefore, the arrival of the Cunard liner will be delayed until further notice." He said through his megaphone, drawing gasps from the Stars.

"A storm? Delay an ocean liner?" Ten Cents asked, showing visible concern. "What's the reasoning behind that?"

The one word uttered out of OJ's mouth startled the other Star Tugs. "Hurricanes. They're so rare when it's early in the summer, but they can be powerful too." He explained, looking nervous. "That's why Cunard's delayed their arrival."

"OJ is right. There is no way in telling where and when the storm hit, and how strong it will be as well." Captain Starr added. "I may have to consider evacuating you all to sea if worse comes to worse. In the meantime, we will be making our own preparations for the storm. Good luck out there Stars!"

At the same time, Captain Zero was discussing the events with the remaining Zero tugs. Zorran's disappearance had gotten them to where they were losing contracts left and right, and Zero was using whatever remaining funds they had gotten from their work on alcohol. "So God continues to be an arse and sent up a storm." He slurred, barely able to read the bulletin.

"So no Cunard contract?" Zip asked, prompting Zak to silence him.

"I heard it's a nasty one too." Zebedee asked. Then, in an effort to be firm, he asked, "Captain Zero, what should we do if it comes in? I mean, we might not be prepared for it at all!"

"Preparations, who gives a damn about preparations Zebedee!" Captain Zero snapped, sticking his head out of the window. "If we get some damage, I can get us insurance money! That way, we'll stay afloat!"

"On alcohol money." Zak sneered, prompting Captain Zero to throw his bottle of whiskey at him. The bottle struck the deck and shattered on impact, but the harbor tug was unphased. "We need cash for coal, repairs, a new tug-"

"We can't afford a new tug you bastard!" Captain Zero roared, his voice nearly going hoarse. "I don't care if any of you get caught up in the storm! As long as you can still work, you should get the job done!"

While Zak was arguing, Zebedee hurried off with Zug and Zip. It was useless for them to get caught up in the crossfire of such arguments. Once they reached the harbor, Zebedee sighed and said nothing.

"Zebedee what do we-" Zip was about to ask, but Zug silenced him. Zip could only look at the large harbor tug with worry, wondering what could happen to them…

A few days later, Captain Starr hurried over to his office, sweating nervously. Fortunately, the Star Tugs were at the Star Dock getting ready for the day, so he wouldn't have to worry about interrupting any work. It was already starting to get windy, but that was the least of his worries. He opened his window and announced, "I have received terrible news from the Weather Bureau. The storm is heading right for Bigg City and should be arriving in the next day or two!"

"What!?" Big Mac gasped. "Ca'n, what do we do about the harbor? And our work?"

"Safety is our first priority. The smaller vessels have been moored, and we will do what we always do in storms." Captain Starr replied. "Men, get ready to brace yourselves. This is not a drill."

"Brace ourselves?" Sunshine asked, having not experienced such a storm like one. Living Up River meant that things like storms were even more frightening to him.

"We usually go out to sea and point our bows towards the waves." Hercules explained, having experienced some storms during his time in San Francisco. "They can be particularly nasty if you aren't prepared for it. I figure the harbor should provide some refuge for us, yes?"

"Not if you want to get swept away." OJ remarked. "Ten Cents, Sunshine, even Zug and Zip could capsize if the waves are large enough. We should have plenty of shelter in this dock to protect us from the storm."

"Stop fussing!" Captain Starr said, noticing how frantic his tugs were getting. "I have already made arrangements for you to stay inside the harbor. Zero has already fled Up River to avoid the storm, so I will be relaying the news to his fleet. I will be going to Top Town due to its distance inland."

The Star Tugs went silent and nodded, realizing that it was pointless to bicker over a storm. Then, Sunshine had an idea. "Captain, why don't we go up to Top Town with you? I know some places where we can seek shelter!" He suggested, wanting to brighten brighten the mood.

"That is actually a good idea Sunshine. However, not all of you are made for the river." Captain Starr replied, looking at a fuming Hercules. "I also need to check if the lake at Top Town can fit all of you. If not, I'm afraid I'll have to have a few of you stay here. For now, you are all dismissed!"

By the afternoon, the tugs were all busy with work. However, the weather was starting to deteriorate. It was starting to become more windy, and the rain was making it difficult for the tugs to see. Zebedee was finishing up with a small fishing contract when he spotted Hercules. The two tugs had only met a few times, their most notable meeting being the incident with Johnny Cuba. Although the two left on amicable terms, Zebedee was still wary around the ocean tug for a good reason.

"Zebedee, what are you doing in this weather? It's getting dangerous!" Hercules asked, having given up efforts to shake off the rain. A few ravens were perched on his deck, all looking on at the Z Stack with curious eyes.

"And water is wet Star." Zebedee snapped, ignoring Hercules and instead helping escort the vessel. "Listen, this weather is just as stressful for me as it is for you. No need to boss others around."

"What would you like me to then, storm out?" Hercules countered. Now was not the time to argue with a Zero tug, but his pride said otherwise.

Zebedee was bewildered, and simply watched as the fishing vessel hurried back to the safe confines of the harbor. "Just what exactly are you doing here anyway? Make my day worse?" He asked, turning to face the ocean tug.

"Captain Starr actually has some important news, and he needs all of us at the Star Dock." Hercules calmly replied, but he was chomping at the bit. "Is something on your mind Zebedee?"

"Is he gonna pull a Noah's Ark on us?" Zebedee bluntly asked, now turning to face the ocean tug. "The last thing I need is to never see Zip and Zug again."

"No no. But I won't be surprised if he did." Hercules sighed, now facing the Z Stack with worried eyes. With a chuckle, he remarked, "I'd certainly get left behind."

"Same here." Zebedee huffed, now turning to face the ocean tug. "What're you laughing at any way?"

"Trying to be in good spirits." Hercules replied. "Besides, we don't know what the storm has in store for us. Come on now, let's hurry back before Starr has my keel on his wall."

"Has Starr actually threatened you with this? Zero's said that threat for all of us." Zebedee chuckled, now realizing there were more similarities between him and his opponent.

"Yes. Twice in fact." Hercules smiled, glad that he was able to finally at least sway the Z Stack. "Come on now, someone is expecting us."

Zebedee gave a hesitant nod and followed Hercules back into the harbor, wondering if the ocean tug had good intentions. Considering how… terrifying the other was around Zorran, it was a miracle he made it out unscathed. After some time, they reached the Star Dock, and Zebedee was shocked by the sight. The Star Tugs were all moored up, as were the Z Stacks. And both fleets were not happy.

"QUIET!" Captain Starr shouted to the point of going hoarse, as he watched Star and Zero argue with each other over storms. Once both fleets went silent, he said, "Now, the latest bulletin came out and the storm is now a hurricane. I have been able to make arrangements to evacuate some of you to Top Town. Ten Cents, Sunshine, Zip, Zug, OJ, and Zebedee will all be going up. The rest will have to stay here due to size and financial costs."

The tugs were flabbergasted at the news. The fact some would be left behind was troubling tugs like Ten Cents greatly, but others like Zak were not pleased with the news. "Oh fuck off Starr! I can weather this storm without you and your little shits ruining it for me!" He shouted, and Zebedee was furious.

Hercules noticed this and stepped in, not wanting a fight to break out. In a cold voice he said, "No funny business Zak. He can't simply choose a tug because of their strengths and weaknesses. Want to continue with your tirade? I can crack your keel with a single charge, even snap your frame in clean in two if I feel like it. I suppose Zero will be happy to claim the insurance money then."

"Insurance money? On my dead body? You slimy bast-" Zak was about to attack, but luckily Zebedee stepped in and subdued him.

"If I wanted to live through a hurricane Zak, I would keep that mouth shut. Otherwise, I'd be happy to put it to use as a bird feeder." The ocean tug snapped, his temper flaring.

Finally, Captain Starr had enough. It was now time to play peacemaker. "Alright alright, quiet down! I know how stressful it is for all of you, but it's pointless to argue. All who are going Up River, meet me at the entrance to the dock. As for the rest of you, anchor down and stay safe."

Once Captain Starr finished speaking, the evacuees said their goodbyes and wished the remaining tugs good luck as they hurried off. Zak snarled as he watched the others leave, and hurried back to the Zero Dock. No point to argue with the Star Tugs at this point, it seemed. Hercules gave a heavy sigh as he watched the others leave, leaving him, Big Mac, Warrior, and Top Hat behind.

Late that night, the hurricane made landfall. At the Star Dock, no one would even try to sleep with the rain and rushing wind, making it for an unpleasant evening. Top Hat was moored near some equipment, Big Mac was moored near Star and Marine headquarters, and Warrior was moored at his spot on the pier. It was too dangerous for them to stay moored near each other. Top Hat was not too pleased to say the least, and he asked, "Of all the cities on the East Coast, why are we being hit by a hurricane? In the middle of June?"

"We've had some bad storms up in Canada Top Hat. Nature can be unpredictable." Big Mac shouted, trying to shield his eyes from the rain.

"They can get nasty too!" Warrior chimed in, watching as the wind battered down on the buildings. After a minute, he asked, "How do you think the others are doing? They're so far up too!"

"Probably worryin' over us." Big Mac remarked, closing his eyes to protect them from the rain. "At least they're grateful to be so far up inland. Meanwhile, we're takin' hits left and right- Look at that!" The three tugs turned their heads to watch as metal was easily ripped from its spot on the roof thanks to a strong gust of wind. Fortunately, the metal landed in the water. "Thank God we weren't in its path." The harbor tug remarked, pleased that no one was hurt.

"It's going to be like this all night Big Mac." Top Hat called out, but he tried to remain strong despite witnessing what had happened. "Besides, I wonder if Zak is having it worse than us. I figure he's sulking and wondering why he chose to ride it out here."

"He's nothing but hot air Toppy. However, he got incredibly upset when Herc told him he was gonna kill him for insulting us." Big Mac frowned, watching as more loose roof tiles were blown off. "I figure nature is gonna give him karma."

"You do realize karma works both ways, ri- OW!" Top Hat was rudely interrupted when an empty barrel struck him on his face, right between his eyes. His vision faded to black, and he immediately fell unconscious.

"Top Hat, no!" The remaining tugs shouted in unison, but they couldn't move in and help him. Instead, they watched as he went almost limp, and prayed that he would make it out intact.

Hercules meanwhile was out near the entrance to the harbor, anchored into place. He had considered anchoring within the Star Dock, but had his concerns over what sort of hazards would come up with the weather. The waves were rough, but it wasn't to where he could run the risk of capsizing. However, the events of that afternoon were weighing heavily on his mind, and he was wondering on what he could have done differently.

"So you ditched everyone to ride it out huh?" Zorran's soul called out, wanting to take another jab at the mighty ocean tug. "That's very brave of a cow-"

"Honey, when you were alive, your paint peeled whenever you saw me." Hercules retorted, ignoring a blast of wind. He was already stressed out, and now was not the time to have more piled up on his plate. "You left everyone to their own devices during that incident Up River, remember?"

"I did, but that was because Zug was a cun-" Before Zorran could finish his sentence, a bolt of lightning struck the lighthouse and shattered the glass!

Hercules was shocked at the sight as well, but he quickly calmed down. "Be grateful that didn't hit us." He said to himself, and Zorran went quiet. He took it as a sign that Hades was beating Zorran again, or that the Z Stack was so impressed by the sight he wouldn't speak. With a sigh of relief, he went into an uneasy sleep.

The next day, Hercules awoke to find that the hurricane had blown over, and he muttered a silent prayer over how lucky he was. However, his first priority was to go back to the Star Dock and check on his friends. He was incredibly worried about them to say the least, but he also had his concerns for the tugs that were Up River. Would they have gotten away unscathed, or did they escape with some damage? These questions ran through his head as he drew his anchor and started to sail towards the harbor.

The moment the ocean tug entered the harbor limits, he was greeted by a troubling sight. Some of the older buildings lost roofs and windows, while the newer buildings were not as damaged. As he sailed closer inland, the damage became more and more obvious. The piers suffered damage, and some of the smaller vessels were moaning in pain from the objects blown at them by the wind. He was surprised that no Coast Guard vessels were out assessing damage or stopping him from going further, but he figured that they too were reeling in from the hurricane and dealing with their own casualties. He slowly tredged on, but was relieved when he spotted Big Mac.

"Thank goodness you're safe Hercules!" Big Mac said with a smile on his face, relieved to know that the ocean tug was safe. "How was it out there in the sea? I was worrying for you!"

"I've dealt with worse Macca." Hercules chuckled, glad to see that his friend made it out. He then spotted Warrior and gave a blast of his hooter to greet the other harbor tug. "Looks like Warrior's safe too. But where's Top Hat?"

"Got knocked out." Warrior frowned, looking down at the water below. "Hopefully he'll wake up by the afternoon."

Hercules's heart sank, but he remained in good spirits. "I'll go back and check on him. What are you two doing out here anyway?" He asked, now noticing a sense of urgency in the harbor tugs' eyes.

"We got a message from the Coast Guard about something being dredged up in one of the canals. They need a crane to lift it out." Big Mac replied, now becoming serious.

"Are you sure we can confirm that? I'm doubtful the city's power and lines came back in one piece." Hercules asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or if the cranes were damaged by the storm."

"Only one way to find out." Big Mac said, and he and Warrior steamed off. "Se ya later Herc!"

"Likewise Macca." Hercules sighed, and he hurried back to the Star Dock. Once there, he found the unconscious railway tug and some damaged offices. He could write a summary of what happened to Starr, but he wasn't sure if it was possible to even use Morse Code. With a hum, he anchored next to the railway tug and kept close.

* * *

Up River, meanwhile, had taken quite a bit of damage from the hurricane. Many railway lines were damaged, and to make it worse, the main water way back to Bigg City was blocked by fallen trees and various debris. The power lines were also knocked over by the gusts, cutting off the smaller towns from the outside world.

At Top Town, Ten Cents and Sunshine awoke to find that they and the other tugs made it in one piece. However, the scene was horrific to say the least. "Lucky we were in the lake and not on land." Ten Cents whispered, not wanting to wake the others up.

"Look at the train tracks." Sunshine gasped, looking at how the lines were littered with tree branches. "Hopefully the others at Bigg City are safe."

"Especially since they were out there at the time of the hurricane too." Ten Cents replied, and soon spotted a man walking down. "That's Captain Starr! What's he doing out here?"

OJ, Zebedee, Zug, and Zip woke up, and were just as surprised. "Don't you think he's going to check up on us for damage?" Zebedee asked, spotting some papers in the man's hand.

"Perhaps. He's going to speak right now." OJ whispered, and everyone went silent as Captain Starr started talking.

"The hurricane did a number to us, but I'm pleased to say that we made it out alright." He said, and the tugs blew their hooters. After a minute, he said, "However, we don't know how well the others fared in Bigg City. The lines were toppled by the storm, so it may take a few days until power is restored."

The tugs frowned, and were now worrying about how their fleetmates were doing in Bigg City. After a minute, OJ broke the silence with, "Perhaps we can help clear fallen debris! That might help take out minds off the stress."

"I'm not sure, considering the debris and how large some of them are. Until the larger debris is removed, you will need to stay anchored here." Captain Starr said with a frown. "Stay strong everyone."

The tugs were disappointed, but OJ proposed that they spend time with talking and telling each other stories. Zebedee was hesitant, but with some gentle persuasion from his fellow Z Stacks, he reluctantly obliged.

Within a day, communication lines were restored. Local and state efforts were now launched to help assist those affected, and the Coast Guard were helping clear debris. That evening, Captain Starr walked down to the pier with some papers from the Coast Guard. All turned their attention, wondering if they were allowed to go and help clean up.

"I got some news from the Coast Guard. We took some damage at Bigg City, but it wasn't anything too significant. Top Hat was knocked unconscious by flying debris, but luckily, he wasn't blinded. He woke up last night, and despite his headache, he's okay." He said in a serious voice, drawing gasps from Ten Cents, Sunshine, and OJ. Then, he flipped to another paper and said in a somber tone, "Zorran was also found yesterday afternoon by the Coast Guard, Big Mac, and Warrior. Unfortunately, he wasn't found alive."

The moment Captain Starr spoke those words, Zug's face went from worry to complete disbelief. Zorran, dead? It couldn't be! It can't be! He drew his anchor and hurried away from the pier, crying hysterically. Zebedee pleaded for the switcher to come back, but OJ restrained him. Zebedee watched in horror, but he and Zip soon too broke down in tears. Their leader, Zorran, was dead.


	6. Chapter 5: Voices

**I live! I've been very busy with work, but I have been brewing some ideas for the fifth chapter (and the sixth chapter). This chapter focuses on the tugs up river due to the hurricane, but Charon starts to make his mark...**

The next morning, Zebedee was still moored at the pier in Top Town. Clean up operations were underway, and Captain Starr sent the tugs to go out and assist the Coast Guard. However, the loss of Zorran was pressing heavily on the harbor tug's mind. Just what exactly had happened that caused Zorran to die? Why did it take the Coast Guard that long to find him in the first place? He was certainly in no position to lead the Zero Fleet, as he felt he wasn't mentally prepared for the job. Sadness turned to anger, and Zebedee began to silently curse his Captain, his fleetmates, the Coast Guard. It was simply becoming too much.

"Zebedee?" A voice called out, snapping the harbor tug back to reality. He slowly cocked his head to see OJ steaming up to him. "The Coast Guard needs your help. Me and the switchers can't be doing all the work ourselves, and besides, you're the strongest tug out of all of us."

Zebedee was in no mood to answer, and he simply groaned before looking away from OJ. "Who do you think I am? Big Mac? Warrior?" He asked in an angry tone. "Now don't be running up to me and ask me to help. Especially since I have my own loss to deal with."

"I understand those feelings of dealing with loss Zebedee." OJ replied in a gentle tone. "I was in your position once, and I don't want you to go through what I went through. It was… miserable."

"You? Dealt with loss?" Zebedee asked doubtfully, still not looking at the older tug. He had his reasons for not trusting the older tug, especially since he felt that what OJ did was sometimes unorthodox in his book. "Heh, I'm not sure if those losses of yours were as significant as mine."

"I lost a good friend to a collision with an ocean liner during my younger years." OJ said, tears rolling down his face. "He was not just my friend, he was my mentor too. He was why I learned so much about loyalty and tolerance. When me and my other fleetmates got word of what happened, I was devastated and shut myself out."

Zebedee turned his head to see the paddlewheel tug looking down at the water, surprised about what he heard. So he and OJ were not so different after all. "I… I didn't know old-"

"Don't fuss about it Zebedee, it happened a long time ago." OJ replied, letting out a sigh. "Shortly after the loss of my friend, my old owners sold me to Captain Starr. He reminded me of my mentor, and he provided a way for me to recover. If it wasn't for him, I don't know where I would be at right now."

Zebedee's thoughts trailed elsewhere, and to say that he was envious was an understatement. While OJ came from a decent background, he was purchased by Captain Zero at an auction through very questionable means. Captain Zero was more interested in the money as opposed to the well-being of his own tugs, and the tugs had to learn how to not show physical and emotional weaknesses in front of others. Okay, he may have showed concern after the munitions incident, but that was beside the point. He reluctantly undid his lines, and now had to start up his fire. It was pointless to sit and mope all day anyway.

"Zebedee, are you alright?" OJ asked, noticing how quiet the other was. "Do you need-"

"I'm fine Star." Zebedee answered bluntly. "I'll see you down where you need me to be." OJ nodded and sailed away, leaving the Z Stack behind.

* * *

Ten Cents and Sunshine were being kept busy with helping Billy Shoepack clear away debris that had gotten into the river. Zip and Zug were further down the river, assisting the Fire Tug to check if any sewage lines were damaged by fallen trees or strong winds. The Fire Tug was greatly concerned that leaking sewage combined with sparks from their stacks could start a fire, and so he was making sure that debris would be cleared as quickly and efficiently as possible. Although work was going smoothly, it was clear that they needed help.

Ten Cents was helping Sunshine clear some fallen trees when a voice came into his head. "Can we go and do something worthwhile? This cleaning the mess work is getting boring!" He said, catching the attention of the switcher. Whoever it was, it was clear that he was getting impatient.

"Hey, we gotta help the townsfolk first. The railroad is doing their part of clearing the tracks of debris." Ten Cents snapped, hoping that would get the voice to shut up. "We gotta make sure supplies come in from Bigg City-"

"Bigg City, Bigg Schmity! They're damaged as is by the hurricane!" The voice sneered. "Besides, the big guy's being kept busy down there, and he can't get up here. That's why he needs us to help him out. If not..."

The big guy? Ten Cents was confused, and he wanted to press for more information. However, he had to help Sunshine. He pushed those nagging feelings aside for the time being and concentrated on his work, not afraid of any possible repercussions. Once the trees were cleared, he noticed that the voice had seemingly gone quiet. Good, he thought to himself, and he went to go and assist Billy.

Later on that afternoon, Ten Cents and the other tugs had reached Mittsville and were now waiting for the all-clear to go back to Bigg City. However, there were still concerns about fallen debris, and there was no way in telling what sort of hazards were hiding in the water. To make the situation worse, coal was in short supply, and running out during the trek down the river would be disastrous. They would have to stay here for the evening.

Ten Cents was watching the sun set with Sunshine when he noticed a rather large raven land on his deck. He looked down and was immediately taken back by the raven's condition. Although it was able to fly, its body was riddled by gunfire. To make the situation more confusing, Sunshine looked like he didn't bat an eye to what was happening. Ten Cents looked back up at the setting sun, hoping that would get the raven to leave.

"That's the big guy's pet. He looks like he wants to help ya out." The voice from earlier came back, trying to draw Ten Cents away from the setting sun. "Besides, we have work to do, remember?"

"We're kinda short on coal at the moment." Ten Cents thought, hoping to stop the voice from pestering him. "Whatever sort of work you want me to do, I don't want to run out. The next coal train won't be coming in for at least another day!"

"In this work, coal is pointless." The voice retorted, and Ten Cents watched as his reflection in the water became maroon. To make it more stressful, he felt himself become restless. "Our power ensures that vessels like you don't run out on the job. Makes it easier for the both of us."

"Thanks for the boost, but I don't need it. At least not right now." Ten Cents snapped, watching as the sun finally slip into the horizon. He turned to face Sunshine and said in a quiet voice, "That was a good sunset, wasn't it?"

"Yeah! Our first one in a few days too!" Sunshine chuckled, turning to face his friend. He noticed that something wasn't right and asked, "You look a little confused Tenny. Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine Sun." Ten Cents assured, trying to shrug off the remnants of the nagging feelings. And the bird. "Hopefully things should be getting back to normal soon. I miss working down at Bigg City!"

"Oh that's what the harbor folk always say! I like it here Up River, but you do have a point." Sunshine chuckled. He noticed something in the corner of his eye and said, "Hey look, there's Zebedee!"

The Z Stack sailed up to them, carrying a coal barge. "It took some bargaining, but there's enough for all of us. Your old man is actually a decent guy, and helped me get the barge." He said, pointing to OJ steaming behind him.

"Thanks Zeb!" Ten Cents smiled. "I think we'll be able to make it back to Bigg City now. At least by tomorrow evening."

"Heh, if we try at least." Zebedee smiled for a second before becoming serious once more. "We gotta clear crap first if we want to go home."

"But on the upside, a lot of the debris has been cleared already thanks to our combined efforts!" OJ added, making Zebedee pout. Once Zebedee left, the paddlewheel tug steamed up to the switchers and said, "I've been helping him cope with Zorran's death, make him grow a little more. Hopefully he'll be able to win the others over with what I've taught him."

"Hopefully? OJ, knowing Zak-" Ten Cents was about to ask when he was interrupted by OJ.

"Zebedee is stronger than Zak Ten Cents. He shouldn't have to worry too much when it comes to a challenge in leadership you know." The paddlewheel tug explained, looking on towards the evening sky. "Besides, you know the saying 'bark and no bite'? That's all Zak is."

Ten Cents and Sunshine now had some reassurance, but they still had concerns over Zebedee. He didn't even want to be a Z Stack, let alone a Star Tug. Hopefully, this experience would allow him to put aside his worries and show that he was not like Zorran. However, now was not the time to bother him nor OJ.

Later on that evening, Ten Cents was fast asleep when he heard a bird call. He groaned and shrugged it off as an owl, but the call became louder. Meanwhile, he undid his line and started to move. It wasn't long before he felt a bump and woke up. Ten Cents looked and noticed that he bumped into OJ, and he was panicking. "Please don't wake up, please don't wake up!" He said to himself, noticing how the older tug was stirring. After a minute, OJ remained sound asleep, letting out a loud snore.

The voice came back, and said, "Lucky for you, the old guy stayed still. Now, we have work to do."

"What sort of work anyway? You keep talking about it like it's significant!" Ten Cents impatiently asked before noticing the same raven from earlier on the edge of his bow. "I take it that's the big guy's pet wanting to show me the way?"

"Yeah. He got shot by some idijits a while ago, but he can still fly. Best part is... he's a ghost!" The voice chuckled, drawing a gasp from Ten Cents. "Come on, let him show you."

With some hesitation, Ten Cents looked at the raven and asked in a quiet voice, "Where to?" The raven simply said nothing, only pointing his beak to Ten Cents' right. Ten Cents looked and noticed that the raven started to glow under the moonlight, and curiosity began to overtake him. However, there was one small problem. How was he going to follow a glowing bird without waking the others up?

"Still nervous aren't ya?" The voice asked. "Lemme help with that!" Ten Cents watched as he began to change before his very eyes, and he was panicking! He shut his eyes in fear, but he still felt his body on the water. And that he was now moving. When he opened his eyes, he realized that he was not in control of his own body. He could still see from his wheelhouse, but that was it.

"Where are we going exactly?" He asked the voice, showing some caution. "I don't want to get us caught- fog?!" He watched as fog rolled in, muffling the noises in his engine to barely a whisper.

"Big guy's way of keeping quiet on the job!" The voice laughed, taking complete control. "You had your fun Tenny. Now it's Charon's turn!"

Charon? Ten Cents had heard the name before, but the name didn't click. However, it wasn't until he reached a dock full of houseboats that he realized what the voice meant. "Hang on... we shouldn't be here! I'm a Star Tug, not Hades's goon-" Ten Cents tried to protest, but Charon took over.

"I'll make it as painless as possible for you, okay?" Charon said in a quiet voice, noticing how impatient Ten Cents was getting. "Besides, after this, you better start getting used to your new life."

Ten Cents was at a loss of words, and helplessly watched from his point of view as Charon approached an injured houseboat. His body had received substantial damage due to debris from the storm, and his face was bruised. Although he could be repaired, he looked as though he was about to pass on. Ten Cents supposed his injuries were too great, and could only watch as Charon went to work. The moment he saw smoke race towards the houseboat, he blacked out...

* * *

The next morning, Ten Cents awoke to find himself tied at his spot at the dock, surrounded by Sunshine, OJ, Zebedee, Zug, and Zip. Much to his relief, they were still fast asleep. "Maybe what I saw last night was a dream..." He thought to himself, looking down at the water and noticing that his reflection was normal. The raven was also nowhere in sight, and he supposed it was just an illusion.

Within an hour, Ten Cents, Sunshine, Zug, and Zip were getting a morning briefing from Captain Starr (OJ and Zebedee had left to go help with some cleaning). "We have gotten the all clear to go back to Bigg City!" He said, getting drowned out in whistles and sighs of relief from the switchers. "The main path has been cleared of debris thanks to OJ and Zebedee, and Big Mac and Warrior did their part on Bigg City's end to assist." After a few minutes of whistles, he shouted silence and said in a serious tone, "I have not heard from Captain Zero since he got the news of Zorran's death three days ago, so I will be going to check up on him this afternoon."

"Starr, what about Zorran's body?" Zug asked, and Zip was now ready to calm him down. "Are you making shi-"

"I am not making it up Zug. It's currently being held at Lucky's Yard, and will be melted down next week." Captain Starr said, silencing the Z Stack. "Based on the descriptions of it from the others, I wouldn't recommend it. Dismissed!"

Later on that morning, the switchers had gotten filled with coal and were now steaming down the river back to Bigg City. Along the way, they spotted Billy Shoepack. However, for whatever reason, Billy was glaring at _Zip_.

"Billy, are you alright?" Ten Cents asked, looking at Billy Shoepack with worried eyes. "What's gotten into you that you don't like Zip all of the sudden?"

"I saw him last night in the fog, following a strange glowing light." Billy replied. "He was laughing and muttering something about a big guy!"

"Me?" Zip asked, looking at the alligator tug with confused eyes. "What did I do wrong?"

"I saw you going near the houseboats last night Zip. You looked pretty excited about it too." Billy answered, steaming up to the switcher. "Just what exactly were you doin', huh? Tippin' them over?"

"I wasn't doing anything stupid! I was fast asleep!" Zip retorted, looking at the other switchers for backup. He certainly did not want to face an untimely demise, especially at the hands of a tug like Billy Shoepack. "You... had a dream last night. You must have had one about a ghostly tug lookin' to cause trouble!"

"Dream? _**DREAM**_?" Billy was _furious_. "I'm done playing games Zero boy. Now shut your-"

"We saw Zip snoozing right next to us!" Sunshine replied, hoping to calm his friend down. Ten Cents and Zug also nodded, confirming what Sunshine had seen. "Zip was out like a light the whole night too. Listen, I know you're cross and all, but we have to head home."

Billy slowly calmed down, as Sunshine did have a point. It was useless to start a fight, especially since these switchers needed to get back home to Bigg City. "I suppose I was getting hot headed there for a sec. But I got my eye on you Zip." He said, blasting his hooter and sailing away. Zip was befuddled, but shrugged it off as he followed behind Ten Cents, Sunshine, and Zip.

By early evening, the Star and Zero tugs who were sent inland made it back to Bigg City and went their separate ways. Ten Cents, Sunshine, and OJ tearfully reunited with Big Mac and Warrior, and the five tugs hurried back to the Star Dock to get cleaned up. Zak was not present, and Zebedee groaned as he led Zug and Zip back to the Zero dock. During the journey, Zug quietly broke off from the main group and hurried off towards Lucky's Yard. Captain Starr did say that Zorran's body was being kept there, and part of him wanted to go there and prove the man's words. Once he arrived, he quietly and cautiously looked around to see if Starr was telling the truth. It didn't take him long to see a large vessel resting on a barge. Zug turned on his light, and was alarmed to see that the vessel looked like a tugboat or a smaller vessel. With a gulp, he sailed towards the barge. The vessel had a large hole in its bow, and was covered in rust and barnacles. He immediately recognized the distinct shape of the bow and ran out of the dock, crying hysterically. "Zorran's dead! Zorran's dead!" He shouted, trying to shake off what he had seen...

* * *

The next morning, the Star Tugs awoke to see Zebedee, Zak, Zug, and Zip sail into the Star Dock. They were very alarmed at the sight, but now was not the time to argue. The four Zero Tugs looked visibly shaken, and there was terror and fear in their eyes. The Star Tugs assumed that they too had seen what remained of Zorran, as evidenced by Zug's unhinged look.

Captain Starr pulled up a few minutes later in his car and stepped out, but he looked serious. Pulling out his megaphone, he announced, "As of last night, Zero and Marine is out of business. Captain Zero was found dead in his Up River office, and police confirmed this morning that Zero committed suicide. With no one else to run the company, his remaining tugs were put into my care by the police and the Port Authority. However, they won't be staying here permanently. I'll be putting them up for sale this afternoon." Then with a sigh, he said, "Considering their reputation... I'll be surprised if there's anyone willing to buy them."


	7. Chapter 6: Zorran

**It's me again! Writing up this bad boy took a lot of thinking and planning, as I wanted to make sure the events of the story would flow nicely. Like some of my other chapters, this one is a bit on the lengthy side. Enjoy!**

Later on that morning, Ten Cents was sent to go fetch some equipment from Lucky's Yard. Captain Starr wanted to make sure that the Zero tugs would at least get some minor fixes done before being put up for sale, especially when considering their condition. Once Ten Cents arrived, he turned and noticed a rusting vessel lying on one of the barges. It took him by surprise, and it took him minutes to process what he was seeing. "So _that_ is Zorran?" He thought to himself, and no matter how hard he tried to deny it, Zorran was there. It looked as though the Z Stack sank from other issues besides rust, Ten Cents figured. "I know no one is that strong enough to put a big hole-"

Before he could continue, he heard the distinct Cockney accent that belonged to Zorran. "Why are ya staring at my corpse Star?" He asked. Ten Cents looked around, but Zorran was nowhere to be seen. "You'd think I'd be joking, but the truth is- Hey, you're not listening to me. I'm right here!"

"Oi bug off Zorran." Ten Cents snapped, spotting the needed parts. "Starr's selling off your fleet mates, especially after Zero offed himself. Shocking I know, but I can care less."

"They're what?!" Zorran's voice showed alarm. And anger. "Listen Tenny, the only reason why they're being sold right now is because Hades killed-"

Before Zorran could finish his sentence Ten Cents felt that something wasn't right. He looked down at the water and noticed Charon had taken the place of his reflection, and he was hoping none of the dock workers were paying attention. The feeling of Zorran in his head was gone shortly after, and Ten Cents took it as a sign that Charon drove Zorran out. Or at least, any doubts. He quietly collected the parts and hurried back to the Star Dock, not wanting any more distractions.

That afternoon, Ten Cents was talking about what he had seen to Sunshine at the fuelling depot. "So Zorran's body was lying on a barge, all rusted out. I saw dead ships, but not like this." He said with a frown. "He even had a big hole on his port side."

"Zorran had a big hole on his port side?" Sunshine asked, looking at Ten Cents. He then suggested, "It sounds like he wasn't rusted out. Rather, he was _rammed_."

"Rammed?" Ten Cents was dubious. However, there were some things that he remembered about Zorran. Mainly what happened on the day he brought in Timberwolf to arrest Hercules. "Don't you think Hades was behind this? I mean, Zorran was last seen with you and Hercules."

"Maybe, who knows!" Sunshine replied, looking around to see if no one was watching them. They did not want anyone to be snooping. "He might have sunk Zorran first, and used the rust as a cover for what he did!"

This theory sounded nice, but there was one problem. "If Hades sank Zorran, wouldn't Zorran already been rusted out by the time he got dredged up?" Ten Cents asked. Before he was about to suggest something else, he felt his tongue become bound. The words Hades spoke to him echoed through his head, and the repeated threat of death to the entire Star Fleet shook him.

"Tenny, are you alright?" Sunshine asked, becoming visibly concerned. Ten Cents was not suggesting anything, and it looked as though he was struggling to even speak. "C'mon Ten, snap out of it!" He pleaded, noticing that Ten Cents was phasing out.

Ten Cents looked at Sunshine, the binds on his tongue quickly loosening. "I'm fine Sunshine. I was just thinking about the whole thing, but some of it was not… pleasant." He answered, heaving a sigh. It was pointless to discuss this matter further, especially right now. "C'mon, we got a contract to do!"

Sunshine gave a nod and hurried on to follow Ten Cents out of the fuelling depot, relieved that the older switcher was alright. However, he was still concerned. Was Ten Cents going silent the result of Timberwolf? Or was it because of something more sinister? He pushed those thoughts aside, not wanting to miss out on work.

* * *

A day had passed and the remaining Zero tugs were put up for sale. Zebedee protested that the tugs could still have their uses and help out with work, but Captain Starr would not have any of it. "I don't want you to get into trouble with the Port Authority. And the police" He answered, looking at the harbor tug. "For now, you lot will have to stay here."

"We loaf around to draw buyers? Bull-" Zak was about to protest when he was silenced by a glare from Zebedee.

"No fussing Zak. The work might be too much for your engine, but a replacement engine is in the works!" Captain Starr added, hoping to soothe the other harbor tug. "However, it will be a while before I can secure payment for it."

At the same time, Ten Cents and Big Mac were in Top Town bringing in supplies for those affected. Although the area was looking better than what it was a few days ago, there was plenty of work that needed to be done. The work was very exhausting, but it was all for helping revitalize the area. Once some barges were delivered, Ten Cents started to doze off. He wouldn't have work again for another hour, so shut his eyes and went to sleep.

He woke up and found himself in the Star Dock, and he noticed that it was empty. Everyone must have gone out to do work for the day, he thought to himself. Well, almost everyone. Zorran was at the entrance to the Star Dock, and he was not happy. "What're you doing here Zorran?" The switcher asked, not in the mood to confront the harbor tug.

"Trying to finish what I was saying before I was thrown out by your little pet." Zorran spat, steaming in. The hole in his bow was still there, yet the harbor tug did not sink. He quietly sailed next to Ten Cents and killed his engine, and he gave a breath of relief. "Now for some peace and quiet from that guy. He doesn't know when to stop either."

Peace? The Star switcher was puzzled. "Zorran, you're in my head. Since when has _my_ head been peaceful, especially after being with Timberwolf?" He snapped, hoping to get Zorran to leave.

"Ha! The pain you endured while being with Timberwolf is a regatta parade compared to what I've been through." Zorran retorted, his words riling Ten Cents up."The constant beatings and assaults by Hades and his pet bird are enough to drive a vessel mad Star. The pain is so great most of vessels trapped inside give up immediately! How do you think Burke and Blair looked mad that one time?"

"I thought he simply absorbed them." Ten Cents said, inching away from the Z Stack. Now he needed to get help, as Zorran was making him uncomfortable. He looked at the entrance to the dock and noticed Hades standing in the way. Before Ten Cents could say anything, the maroon tug vanished from view.

"Are ya listening to me Tenny? Hades is trying to turn me into a weapon. And not just any-" Before Zorran could finish, large tentacles emerged from the water! The tentacles looked like octopus tentacles, but they were adorned with eyes. Ten Cents could only watch as the tentacles wrapped themselves around Zorran's hull to the point he screamed in pain, and quickly dragged down into the sea. To the switcher's horror, he noticed that the tentacles's eyes were all staring at him. He quickly shut his eyes, hoping that whatever it was wouldn't sink him too.

The switcher opened his eyes and noticed that he was in Top Town. That was one weird dream, He thought to himself, and he quietly went back to work. He was definitely going to have to speak to Hercules once he got back to Bigg City. After all, the ocean tug was host to a Reaper…

* * *

It was late June, and Hercules returned from contract work in New York. And to do some unfinished business. Most of his time in Bigg City was spent trying to break up fights that Zak instigated, as well as trying to keep quiet about what really happened to Zorran. Although no one noticed, he was stressed to say the very least. He needed to take his mind off those things, but his responsibilities were making it impossible to unwind. He moored himself at the Star Dock and was about to sleep when he heard Ten Cents blast his hooter.

"You needed something Ten Cents?" He asked, snapping awake. Hopefully talking would bring any sort of relief. "You caught me off guard for a second."

"Sorry about that Herc." Ten Cents replied. Now to start talking about what had been going on. "So Starr put up the Zeros for sale-"

"Did he now? Did something happen to Captain Zero?" Hercules quizzed, intrigued by the news. He must have missed out on the rumors he was hearing down in New York. 'Do tell."

Ten Cents nodded, and told him about what had happened to the Zero fleet. "Starr's finally bit the bullet and let them help out on contract work, especially after they all threw fits." He added, looking on towards the city landscape. "Zebedee's been doing great, Zip is Zip, but Zug's been a complete mess ever since Zorran was found dead. Zak's not helping us out on any of the work, and was arguing with Zebedee."

"As expected." Hercules muttered. Great, now to get Zak to straighten up again. "You look concerned old chap. Now what's wrong?"

Should he tell him? Ten Cents was so desperate to tell Hercules all of the Zorran related thoughts and dreams, but was worried about how the ocean tug would react. "It's just that Zorran's been appearing in my head." He blurted out, looking at one of the bridges. "He's got a big hole in his bow, and last I saw him, he was dented!"

"Has he now?" Hercules asked, raising an eyebrow. Deep down, he was panicking. There was no way Ten Cents should even be connected to his own thoughts, let alone get glimpses into Hades's world. "How long has this been going on for?"

"A few weeks at least." Ten Cents replied. He noticed how calm Hercules looked, and that was not a good sign. "Why are you so interested in this anyway?"

"I tend to worry about your wellbeing. Now don't fuss too much about it." The ocean tug replied, but the words he spoke caused Ten Cents to straighten up. "We can talk about it later my little angel, I need to visit someone right now." He undid his lines and steamed off, noticing how quiet Ten Cents had gotten. He was going to have to speak to Hades later.

Within an hour, Hercules was sailing to the estuary. With his evening freed up, he had one small item of business to take care of. He soon spotted the distinct shape of a lightship, and with a gulp, steamed up. "Evening Lillie." He greeted in a soft voice, not wanting to startle Lillie. It had been over a month since the two last spoke, and Hercules was in no mood to start a fight. Especially with his beloved.

"Good evening." Lillie replied, not looking at Hercules. With a heavy sigh, she asked, "What brings you out here anyway? Is something pressing on your mind?"

"I want to make up." Hercules answered, stopping in his tracks. "I did not realize that _killing_ Zorran had consequences that could be felt throughout his fleet. I was incredibly furious that he betrayed me, and it seems that-"

"You do realize actions have consequences, right?" Lillie asked, raising an eyebrow, staring on towards the open ocean. She knew that Zorran was found dead, but wasn't too aware of what else was happening. "How has the fleet dealt with his death now that his body has been found?"

"Captain Zero…" It took all of Hercules's willpower to not break down in tears. The news was still incredibly shocking to say the least. "Zero shot himself dead, and his fleet has been with us since. Captain Starr has no intention on keeping any of them, so he's put them up for sale." He finished, tears slowly trailing down his face.

"Zero killing himself was inevitable whether or not Zorran was alive." Lillie remarked, slowly turning her head to face the ocean tug. "He put so much into his tugs that he was unable pay attention to himself. I know for a fact that if something did happen to one of his tugs, he would take his life before the mob did." After a few minutes of thinking, she asked in a quiet voice, "Did your Reaper manage to break him?"

"Zorran's still sane after all this time. And he's sulking about it too." Hercules answered before heaving a sigh. The stress of what had happened had finally caught up to him. "Despite the torture Hades put him through, he's a plucky little thing. He thinks his insults will convince Hades to free him, especially after his attempts at begging failed miserably."

Zorran? Beg? Lillie was intrigued to say the very least. "Zorran has endured a lot, hasn't he Hercules? I know that when I first arrived, he tried to impress me by picking fights with other ships." She replied, motioning for Hercules to join her. "He acted like a total bimbo while doing those things too. I'm surprised he wasn't sunk by someone before you came along."

The image of Zorran trying to be a brave and dashing tug appeared in Hercules's head, and he tried to stifle a chuckle. "Lils, I don't think bimbo would be the word to describe Zorran." He mused, steaming up to the lightship and anchoring himself next to her. "Besides, he only acted like that when I _wasn't_ around."

"Good point love." Lillie chuckled, trying to shake some unpleasant images of Zorran from her head. "Zorran with long flowing hair would be unsightly, don't you think?" She asked with a grin, looking much happier than what she was earlier.

"Agreed m'dear." Hercules smiled in agreement, now looking at the sunset. He was relieved that Lillie had made up with him, and that there were no complications. Once the sun disappeared from the horizon, he saw Lillie off before the nagging feelings came. Death was imminent, and he instinctively drew up his anchor before hurrying into a cloud of fog.

At the same time, Zug and Zip had finished a contract for a local fishing company and were heading home for the night. However, there was one problem. The fog had rolled in, making it very difficult to navigate without bumping into something. And given their poor navigation skills, the two switchers felt like they were going in circles. They sailed past a fish processing plant when they heard voices.

"Now Charon, this vessel has a problem." One voice said, but it was muffled by the fog. "He's awake, and suffering something that can't be detected through normal means."

"It's not even my time yet!" Another voice called, but it was more frantic than the first. "Please, I'm in fine health. It's these guys behind me that are not feeling so good."

Zug panicked, and noticed that there were two shapes in the fog. He gasped loudly and exclaimed, "They must be pirates Zip! They're trying to extort-" But before he could finish, he heard a low growl and panicked.

"Charon, stay here! It looks as though we have company." The first voice snarled, and a scream was heard. Then, everything went silent at once. The fog became thicker now, making navigation without lights almost impossible.

"Is that-" Zug swore he saw something in the distance kill the fishing vessel, and the shape troubled him. It looked like an ocean tug, and was shaped like one too! "Hercules is using demons! Or magic powers!" He thought aloud, trying to process what he was seeing. In desperation to escape, he turned on his light and steamed off toward some unknown path, leaving Zip behind.

"Zug wait for me!" Zip shouted, trying to catch up to the switcher. However, he didn't get very far before he was blinded by a bright light. He stopped at once, and his breathing became quickened. "Zorran, is that you?" He asked, looking on towards a tug in the fog that was inching towards him. Tears were rolling down his face, and in a panic, he shouted, "I didn't mean to get lost and ram the yacht way back Zorran! I'm a good tug, not a monster... **_PLEASE_**!" The tug's pace only quickened, and Zip shut his eyes...

* * *

 **Some notes:**

 *** "bimbo" was a slang term from the 1920s for a macho man**

 *** Zip feels he is completely responsible for the collision with the yacht (the same one that died in Death on the Water)**

 *** Hades has shapeshifting powers. When he isn't in control of Hercules, he can transform into a variety of ghastly sea monsters to attack. Thankfully, his forms can only be seen by Herc**


	8. Chapter 7: Anger

**I liiive! I got busy with work, a trip, and school, so I didn't get a lot of time to write this month. However, we pick up right where we stopped in Chapter 6! There is mention of suicide and some language, so beware.**

Zip remained in his spot, wondering if it was his time. He had done some good in his life, but he did lots of misdeeds as well. Would he pass on peacefully, or get condemned to eternal suffering? There was no way in telling in what the large tug would do, but Zip wasn't taking chances. After a minute, he heard the tug coming to a stop.

"Zip, what are you doing so far out here?" Hercules asked in a calm voice, compared to what Zip heard earlier. "Now open your eyes, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Zip refused to open his eyes, and only whimpered in response. He was convinced that what he was hearing was simply a part of his own imagination, as there was no way in telling if Hercules was going to report him. Or worse. "I'm a good tug! Please don't sink me!" He pleaded, now inching back.

Hercules sighed and gently steamed up to the switcher in response, still wanting to show he meant no harm. "I'll help you find Zug, then we can go back to the Star Dock." He offered, showing a frown. "All I need you to do is relax. That will make the search for Zug a lot easier for the both of us."

With hesitation, Zip opened his eyes and was surprised to see Hercules standing before him. Whatever Zug said must have been made up then, because Hercules looked like he had no intention of killing him. "Y-you're not going to hurt me aren't you?" He asked between tears. "Zug said you had demon powers!"

"Whatever Zug said was, pardon my language, bullshit." Hercules replied, ignoring whatever social norms he had set for himself. "It must have been a pirate that you two heard. Or some vandals. Either way, I'm impressed you two didn't get hurt from the encounter."

Zip wanted to ask how Hercules knew of the mysterious beings, but he slowly nodded and began to relax. Hercules was scary yes, but that was because of how he behaved around the other Zero tugs. However, he looked like he was nice too. "I know Zug made a left turn when we were spotted." He answered, wanting to help. "But, the fog was so thick that he shouldn't have made it very far. I think."

"I believe I know where exactly he went. Come along m'dear." Hercules hummed, trying to scan the area. He quietly sailed past the Z Stack and towards a dock adjacent to the fishing plant. He spotted a shape and flashed his light at it, and was relieved to see that it was only Zug. "Zug, is that you over there? Now come over, Zip is worried for you."

"Zug, it's me!" Zip called towards Zug, and tried blasting his hooter to draw the other's attention. "No one's trying to kill us, it was just Hercules! He's scary, but he's nice. Now let's get back before-"

"No!" Zug called through his spot at the dock. He was still very nervous, and so he refused to even budge. "Why are you talking to a monster? He'll eat you, or worse, kill you!"

"Eat me? I don't see any sharp teeth on 'im Zug!" Zip replied, taking a glance at Hercules. "At least I think he doesn't."

Zug muttered something and asked, "Really? Has he cornered-"

"That's enough Zug." Hercules interrupted, not wanting Zug to become more apprehensive at this point. "We have to get home before sunrise. Surely the other Zeros will be worried about you two getting lost."

"Only Zebedee gets worried for us you moron! Zak doesn't even care if we make it back or not." Zug replied, becoming apprehensive. "I won't move, especially with you around."

Hercules frowned, disappointed that Zug wasn't listening despite his efforts. Without saying anything, he threw lines at Zug's bollards. Leaving Zug behind would be unwise, as no one knew what he was capable of doing when left unattended. He felt a few of his lines brush against Zug's aft bollards, and he went to work making sure they were secure.

"What're you going to do Hercules? Just throw-" Zug was interrupted as he felt himself start to get dragged out of his spot. He immediately realized that he was being towed and panicked, struggling to break free of Hercules's lines. "Lemme go! Get offa me!"

Zip looked on, noticing how Zug looked like a minnow on a fishing line. Zug wasn't even strong enough to shake off Hercules's tow lines, and so any attempt he made at breaking free was pointless. "Hercules, don't you think this is going to make him go crazy?" He asked, watching as Zug let out a call for help. "I don't want to see him get hurt!"

"Perhaps I might be going a _little_ too far." Hercules mused, looking at Zip. He then turned to Zug and said, "Now stop the banshee act darling, you might wake up all of Bigg City."

"Ha, they'll be waking up to the fact you're a murderer!" Zug retorted, still struggling to break free. Before he could scream again, he felt sailcloth brush up against his face. Then, he could only watch as ropes and cloth covered his mouth. He could still breathe, but he couldn't speak.

"What are you doing?!" Zip asked, looking at how the smaller switcher was frozen stiff. "Is Zug gonna keep screaming his stack off?"

"Gagging him to keep him quiet. Don't ask who or where I learned it from." Hercules answered, watching Zug struggle. Once Zug went quiet, he said, "Let's head back before he pulls any more shenanigans."

Zip nodded, and quietly trailed behind Hercules. He stuck close to Zug the whole journey, making sure he wouldn't break free and run off. However, he couldn't help but observe a change in the switcher. The switcher was cowardly yes, but he was more willing to save his own hull than assist someone else. Zip pushed those thoughts aside, and only sailed on.

At the Star Dock, Zebedee was dozing off when he spotted Hercules at the entrance. He would normally dismiss it, but he became wide awake upon sensing that something was not right. "Hercules, what's going on?" He asked, steaming up to the ocean tug with a look of concern.

"Zug and Zip got lost in the fog on their way back from their fishing contract." Hercules replied, his tone becoming serious. "During that time, they got separated. I found them both, but Zug… Zug left Zip behind and became a screaming lunatic."

"Separated?" Zebedee asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked down and noticed Zug trying to wiggle out of Hercules's lines, and got furious. "Let Zug go at once. You probably did something that scared him."

Hercules stood his ground, and was about to refuse Zebedee's command. However, Zug's whimpering snapped him back to reality. It would be pointless to start a fight, and he quietly undid his lines and gag. He watched as the two switchers raced up to Zebedee, relieved to see him. Zebedee glared at Hercules before he sailed back to his spot at the dock, not saying a word.

* * *

The next morning, Ten Cents and Sunshine were delivering fuel to Sally Seaplane. Along their way, Ten Cents noticed Zug in the distance and was intrigued. "What's Zug hangin' over there for?" Ten Cents asked Sunshine.

"He's probably gotten lost." The smaller switcher mused. "Should we go and help him out?"

"Maybe." Ten Cents replied with with a shrug.

"We need to get to Sally first, so we can check on him later. Come on." Sunshine said, not wanting to be late. After all, it had been a while since he had spoken to Sally.

Ten Cents was a little disappointed, but he nodded. After all, Sunshine did admire the seaplane. "And Sally does enjoy our company. But that's because we're Star tugs." He said, letting out a chuckle.

Deep down in his mind, Charon started to make himself known again. "The kid's really desperate for some of that seaplane eh? Ignore him! Zug needs your help, he's gonna need it real soon." He hissed, showing annoyance. As he spoke, he started giving off nagging feelings.

"Help him how exactly?" Ten Cents retorted, feeling something sinister swell inside him. For whatever reason, he wanted to _kill_. And the method was not pleasant either. Ten Cents quickly became alarmed, as he did not even want to smash his bow into something. "Zug's a little bastard, but I am not going to kill him!"

The duo reached Sally's dock, and she was unusually impatient. "Where have you two been? My next flight leaves in an hour!" She asked. After realizing what she did, she apologized and said, "I'm sorry. I have a celebrity coming and my owners want me to be punctual."

"Sorry Sal, we got a little hung up." Sunshine replied. "Zug's not been himselfever since Zorran died. He tried insulting Hercules, but Zebedee told him to shut it."

"I did hear that the two ran into some vandals last evening. One was named Charon, but I didn't know who the other was." Sally replied. "Those two sounded like bad news too."

The mention of Charon caused Ten Cents to panic. What was he doing last night that Sally was mentioning this? "How do you know that Sally? It might have been Bob gossiping about someone again." He asked, wanting to offer his own opinion.

"I heard it from some passing boats. A fishing vessel was found faceless this morning." Sally said in a grim voice. "It might have been some harbour gossip, but the whole situation is very confusing."

Okay, so something strange did happen. Ten Cents was going to have to confront Hercules. Or even Charon himself. "Whoever Charon is, we can take him on no problem. Isn't that right Sun?" He said.

"Yeah!" Sunshine grinned. "It should be a piece of cake really." Once Sally was finished getting refuelled, he tried to change it to other topics. "So what celebrity is coming?"

While Sunshine and Sally were talking, Ten Cents was trying to keep calm. He was now infuriated, wondering if his innocence was violated. He knew exactly what Charon did with killing, but why couldn't he remember any of it? A sudden shout drew him back to reality, and he turned to see a few Coast Guard vessels.

"Zug is stuck in some rocks after narrowly avoiding a collision with a tramper!" One vessel said, looking serious. "Go and grab a crane at once!"

"We gotta go Sally! See ya!" Ten Cents said, motioning Sunshine to come over and grab Scuttlebutt Pete and his crane. He should be able to do the job. Meanwhile, his mind was wandering to various places.

"See what happens when ya don't listen to me? Zug either got real stupid and almost hit someone. Or he tried to end it all." Charon's voice came back, taunting Ten Cents.

"Shut it Charon. You're trying to play games with me, and I don't do mind games." Ten Cents snapped, spotting Pete in the distance. "Now if you excuse me, we gotta stop a tug from sinking."

"Let him sink then. The big guy would be pleased if that were to happen." Charon snapped. "Besides, he's broken and cannot be fixed."

Ten Cents ignored Charon again and explained everything that happened to Pete. Within minutes, Ten Cents, Sunshine, and Scuttlebutt Pete were on their way to the scene. "I sure hope Zug is alright." Ten Cents said, showing concern.

"I ran myself aground." Sunshine frowned. "It was really scary being put back together." Then, he muttered, "I hope Zug feels what I felt on that day."

Ten Cents heard what Sunshine said and gasped, alarmed to see his friend behave this way. It was understandable, as Sunshine almost sank due to the humiliation he felt. Although he was told to show respect to his competitors, Sunshine was still bitter. "Now now, we can keep it for later. There he is over there!" He exclaimed, spotting Zug.

Zug was resting against some rocks, and he looked defeated. Izzy Gomez was nearby, and he was shocked. "You guys better hurry, Zug looks like he wants to sink." He whispered, hoping Zug wouldn't hear him.

Ten Cents and Sunshine got to work securing the Z Stack, taking care that he wouldn't go under. "He's got some scrapes on 'im." Pete frowned, looking at Zug's hull. "Now best be gentle lads. We don't want him to sink."

"I was right Tenny." Charon said, now trying to become Ten Cents' main focus. "If you help Zug out of this mess, he's gonna become a wrench to the big guy's plans. Kill him while he's still weak."

"Why is Hades so concerned about Zug anyway?" Ten Cents asked, trying to concentrate on assisting Sunshine prepare Zug for salvaging. "Based on what I'm seeing, Zug needs help. And you aren't helping."

"That's because Zug saw us last night! Zip too!" Charon replied, trying to draw Ten Cents's attention towards him. "Now, Zip is safe and sound. But Zug on the other hand…"

"What were you guys doing that made Zug a lunatic?" Ten Cents angrily asked, watching as Scuttlebutt Pete hooked some cranes onto Zug. "Were we reaping Charon?" A feeling of despair confirmed that yes, Hades and Charon were reaping. Those rumors of the faceless fishing vessel were true after all. "I am _not_ killing him, especially after what you and Hades did to me and Hercules. I'd like see you go and try to kill me."

"Feisty aren't ya?" Charon chuckled, and started to fade. Fighting during a salvage was not good in his book anyway. "Suit yourself then if you wish. Hades is not going to be pleased when he hears of this."

"He can't kill me because Herc is his host." Ten Cents retorted, feeling confident. "I got plenty of ammo in case you try playing games again." Once Charon left, Ten Cents assisted in righting Zug. "Feeling alright Zuggy?" He asked, wanting to be helpful.

Zug quietly nodded, as he was in no mood to speak. He was indifferent at seeing the two switchers there, and hissed in pain as he felt himself bob. "Are… are you not going to believe me?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

"About what?" The switchers asked with suspicion. "We'll get you to Lucky's. We helped out Boomer, but we aren't made for this sort of thing." Zug nodded, and the switchers took him to Lucky's Yard.

* * *

By early evening, word of Zug's attempted sinking had reached Captain Starr. However, there was one detail that was nagging at him. "How exactly does Hercules equate into this?" He asked his secretary, looking at his hastily scribbled notes.

"Zug said Herc dragged him back to the Star Dock." She replied. "Knowing Zug, perhaps that was for the best."

"I know Hercules does things in an… unorthodox manner. However, Zug is blasting it out of proportion." Captain Starr added. "I'll have to ask someone to keep an eye on Zug if he does attempt to do this again. It seems Zorran's death affected him more than what I thought."

At the same time, Ten Cents was dozing off. The events of the day left him cathartic, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep. He started dreaming, and quickly fell asleep. He woke up and found himself Up River. Oh great.

Zorran steamed up to him, and he was not impressed. The dents in his hull were less obvious than what they were, and the hole was now just a mere speck. However, his stack was cracked. "Heard what happened to Zug today." He muttered. "I swear I'm gonna end Hades for that alone. Hercules's damned pride makes it more difficult to do that though."

"Zorran, get out!" Ten Cents snapped before turning away from the harbor tug. "I am in no mood to talk about it. Charon tried to get me to kill Zug, but I backed out."

"Charon? That git who threw me out?" Zorran was puzzled. "Heh, it's great to see a Star that still has a spine." Then, an idea came into his head. Since Ten Cents was unfortunately tied into this mess, perhaps the Z Stack could use Ten Cents to his advantage. Maybe that would get Hades to release him. "Say, I figure Hades has you wrapped around like this, maybe I can help out. Show him you still have yourself."

"You know Zorran, I kinda respect you for your perseverance. Despite all the shit you put us through though." Ten Cents replied, turning to face Zorran. "Zug's still a little twit though. Why is he so intent on trying to respect your memory anyway?"

"Hey hey, the Zero Fleet is the only family he ever has." Zorran huffed and answered. "Ya probably already know that he came here from Germany before the war on a trial run, but you might not know that he was impounded. He was essentially separated from his original fleet to where he can't remember their names. Zero saw him hanging out one day and bought him dirt cheap."

Ten Cents gasped. So _that_ was how Zug joined Zero and Marine. Then, it dawned on him. Since Zug had no idea who his old fleetmates were, he turned to the Z Stacks for support and family. The reason why he fawned over Zorran was because he was the closest thing to a father figure. "I think Zug dodged a bullet by meeting ya. I can't even imagine what happened to his old fleet." He sighed, looking at Zorran.

"It's best to not talk about it. It's a subject Zero would have died keeping a secret anyway." Zorran said, relaxing himself. "Anyways, I gotta get back before Hades wakes up. See ya later Tenny."

Ten Cents was puzzled and wanted to ask more, but Zorran quickly vanished from view. He awoke and found all was quiet in the Star Dock, as the other tugs were fast asleep. With a hum of contentment amongst the symphony of snores, he went back to sleep.

 **Notes:**

 **I decided that Zug would be German on a whim, and after seeing a story of German ships left behind in the US thanks to WW1, decided to incorporate that. It does help explain his odd accent.**

 **The wounds Zorran sustained from Hades's attacks are not permanent. They take weeks if not months to heal entirely.**


	9. Chapter 8: Desperation

**I liiiive! School has been keeping me busy, so I've been getting more plot ideas for these chapters. This chapter contains language and some gruesome injuries, so the story will finally be rated M. Enjoy!**

A few days later, the Star and Zero tugs awoke for the morning briefing and an update on Zug. "I got a call from Lucky's earlier this morning and I have good news. Zug took minimal damage from his attempted sinking, so his repairs have been completed. However, once he gets home tomorrow, I may have to place him on dry dock." Captain Starr announced, drawing gasps from the tugs.

"Are ya dancin' with the devil Starr? Zug will become a maniac if he gets put on dry dock!" Big Mac shouted, knowing all too well what had happened to vessels on dry dock. "He already isn't the same tug thanks to Zorran being dead, and dry dock may push him even further. Maybe even drive him mad."

"Considering his attempt at sinking himself, it might be for the best." Top Hat frowned. "That little gremlin needs help, but I don't think we are equipped to deal with suicidal boats."

"Well we are!" Ten Cents retorted, glaring at Top Hat. "Sunshine and I helped Boomer out, so I think we should be able to help Zug get back together-"

"Boomer was easy compared to Zug, Star! Boomer has a brain, Zug doesn't!" Zak replied. "Besides, he needs to keep his yap shut."

While the other tugs argued, Zebedee quietly slipped away from the Star Dock. He had to check up on Zug, and the last thing he wanted was a Zero tug on dry dock. He was halfway through his journey when he noticed that someone, or something, was following him. He turned around and noticed that it was only Ten Cents, and he cursed under his breath. "Get lost Star, I've already had enough goin' on." He muttered.

"I want to help you out Zebedee. Look, those guys don't even know how to deal with a tug who's been separated from his own fleet." Ten Cents replied, remembering what Zorran had told him in his dream. "Besides, he might need you to help him heal."

Zebedee wanted to ask how Ten Cents knew about Zug's origins, but shrugged it off. Now was not the time to be confrontational. He groaned and quietly steamed on towards Lucky's, not minding Ten Cents trailing behind him. After several minutes, the two tugs arrived at Lucky's Yard and saw Zug on dry dock. Men were now inspecting him to make sure the repairs they made would stay up.

"Zug it's-" Ten Cents was about to greet Zug when Zebedee silenced him. Right, that would catch Zug off guard, he thought. Instead, he stayed at the gate to Lucky's Yard and watched Zebedee quietly steamed up to the smaller switcher and anchored close by.

"Hey Zug." Zebedee calmly said, hoping to get Zug's attention. "I know you're pretty banged up, but we wanted to say hello before we headed off to do work."

Zug turned to face Zebedee, and gave a small smile. "Hallo Zebedee…" He mumbled, slipping back to his native German. "Anything from Starr?"

Ten Cents gasped, surprised to see Zug behave like this. "So Zorran was right about Zug's family being the Zero Fleet…" He thought, observing Zug and Zebedee interacting. Zug became more relaxed, and Zebedee was exceptional at keeping the smaller tug calm. Then, an idea came into his head. He hurried off from Lucky's Yard, wondering on how to best execute it.

Later on that morning, Ten Cents was relating what he had seen with Sunshine and Zip. The three tugs were busy helping do smaller work in the harbor, mostly deliveries to the rail yard and surrounding area. "Is Zebedee always like this? He already helped us out during the high winds incident." Ten Cents asked Zip curiously.

"Not always. He's grumpy and doesn't like getting bugged by us, but he means well." Zip replied. "He won't hesitate to stop Zorran and Zak from breaking me and Zug to bits." Zebedee was like a father to Zip, and so he sometimes looked up to the harbor tug for guidance. And besides, Zebedee was less scary than Zorran and Zak.

"That's amazing." Sunshine's mouth was wide open. He wanted to ask more, but he didn't want to make Zip uncomfortable. "Let's get this finished up real quick! I hope Zebedee will like that." he said, soliciting smiles from the other two switchers.

Ten Cents was processing this information, and now was the chance to go and act upon that idea. Once work was completed, Ten Cents hurried away towards the Star Dock. He had to tell Captain Starr what he had seen. After half an hour, he arrived at the Star Dock to notice that Captain Starr was not there. However, Hercules was.

"You look like you're on a rush to get here Ten Cents." Hercules said, noticing the way Ten Cents was acting. "Is something the matter?"

"Nothing in particular, but I need to see Captain Starr." Ten Cents replied, looking at the ocean tug. "It's about Zebedee."

"Captain Starr left a few minutes ago to go to Lucky's Yard." Hercules answered, using his pipes to point towards the direction of the yard. "You should be able to beat him first though. Lucky's isn't too far from here when you're a boat."

"Figures!" The switcher snickered. "What're you hanging out here for anyway?" He asked curiously, still trying to keep in good spirits. "You were supposed to help out some rescue work down the coast!"

"I don't leave for another few hours m'dear." Hercules replied, shaking his head. "And before you ask about reaping, Hades is keeping himself occupied at the moment."

"That's good. Betcha Hades gets bored during contracts anyway." Ten Cents remarked, now getting ready to leave for Lucky's. "I'd ask more, but I gotta see Starr. Later Herc!" With that, he hurried off, leaving the ocean tug behind.

Within minutes, Ten Cents arrived at Lucky's Yard. Captain Starr pulled up a minute later, and was surprised to see the switcher. "Ten Cents, what are you doing here?" Captain Starr asked. Without a megaphone on him, he would now have to yell in order to talk to Ten Cents.

How should he do this? Ten Cents had played through various scenarios in his head, and he said, "I went along with Zebedee to Lucky's this morning, and…"

"And what? I heard you and Zebedee were very concerned about Zug." Captain Starr said, perplexed about what his master switcher was saying. "Go on."

"I saw Zebedee talking to Zug, and Zug calmed down pretty quickly." Ten Cents replied, looking at the Captain. Now was the time to argue his point! "Captain Starr, Zebedee isn't like the other Zeds. He has morals!"

Ten Cents did have a point. Zebedee was not quick to do evil like the other Zero tugs were, and he wasn't falling apart. And then there was the role he played in stopping Johnny Cuba from starting his reign of terror in Bigg City. "What am I supposed to be getting from this Ten Cents?" Captain Starr asked, trying to make sense of what Ten Cents was telling him.

"Captain Starr, don't you think it's possible that Zebedee can be the newest Star Tug?" Ten Cents asked, pleased that his plan was going smoothly. "He's got nowhere else to go, and I think he might be a good addition. Please sir, he's great at getting the job done."

It all clicked for Captain Starr, but he was not easily convinced. "You want me to _buy_ Zebedee Ten Cents?" He asked. Then, he frowned and let out a groan. "I'm terribly sorry, but it isn't my biggest priority at this time. The Star Fleet is big as is, and it costs me a lot of money to keep you all well maintained. I might look into it sometime soon, but for now, Zebedee is still up for sale."

Those words crushed Ten Cents' spirit. It was pointless to argue with the Captain, so he went silent. Realizing he had to get back to work, he gave a small nod and left without saying a word. He had hoped that Zebedee would be allowed to join the Star Fleet, but for now, that was still just a pipe dream.

* * *

It now early August, and Captain Starr was in his office dialing the number to Lucky's Yard. The Star Tugs and even some of the Z Stacks were complaining that Zak was starting to become weaker, and so Captain Starr was forced to arrange having Z Stack go in for repairs. However, there was something else that was pressing on his mind. "If this turns out to be a frequent thing, we're going to take a hit. It's a miracle Zero didn't go broke." He thought.

A knock at the door drew him away from his thoughts, and he looked up to see his secretary open the door and walk in. "Here are your-"

"Just one moment Dulcie, I need to make a call to Lucky. Zak has been struggling as of recently, and I need to make sure he gets fixed." He interrupted.

"How bad has it gotten?" Dulcie asked, staying at her place by the door. "Zero was very concerned about making sure his tugs working, but he often ran them to death." She pointed out, knowing all too well how desperate Zero was to make a profit.

"I have limited Zak's workload as a precaution, but he refuses to cooperate. He insists he still works properly, even if he slows down. Something tells me Zero taught his tugs to keep going even if their engines said otherwise." Captain Starr added, hanging up the phone and motioning Dulcie to bring the papers to him. "My goal is to try and get Zak's engine completely replaced before I can sell him off, but him slowing down right now is going to make it difficult."

"I don't think we have enough money to cover the cost of the replacement, especially after we spent money on Zug's repairs." Dulcie said, walking over to Captain Starr. "After Zug tried sinking himself, it scared off any remaining potential buyers."

"But there are scrap brokers who might look into buying them." Captain Starr said, drawing a gasp from Dulcie. "It is cruel to send Zak to the breaker's yard, but I do not have much of a choice. Lucky pointed out to me that Zak's engine is in a much worse state than OJ's was when we had his replaced, and the cost of the replacement is one that we can't afford to pay off at this time. He also added that Zak will likely die during because his engine is so worn out, so scrapping him might be the most merciful thing done to him."

Outside, Zak listened to their conversation. Something he had repressed began to manifest itself again, making him filled with fear and dread. No one could blame his previous owners for selling him to a scrap broker, as his engine was making them lose money faster than they gained it. On the day he was due to be cut up, Captain Zero bought him. To be placed in this position once more would break him, and Zak hurried off. He needed to save himself before death came to claim him.

Zebedee was at the fueling depot getting some coal. He was minding his own business when Zak steamed in, and he asked in a monotone voice, "Did they catch you pulling shit again Zak?"

"Starr's gonna cut me to pieces Zebby!" Zak exclaimed, catching Zebedee by surprise. "I heard him talking to someone in his office, and he might send me over to Lucky's to be broken up! Or worse… send me to the breaker's yard."

"As far as I know, Starr's not selling you to a broker. He's still trying to get buyers for all of us." Zebedee said, trying to calm the other Z Stack down. However, he was internally panicking. The thought of a Z Stack getting scrapped was one he would never had to experience, but now, that nightmare was becoming reality. "It might be the fear kicking in Zak."

" _ **FEAR**_?! First Zug tries sinkin' himself because of a Star Tug, now I have my life on the line because of their cocksucking Captain!" Zak spat, going straight up against Zebedee's bow. "For being the leader of the Z Stacks, you're doing a terrible job at it! You fuss over the lives of those little Stars as opposed to us Zeds!"

"I care deeply for you and the others though!" Zebedee retorted. "I tasked you and Zip to keep an eye on Zug, but all you do is ignore me and try to cause problems. I even showed concern for ya after your engine started to take a turn for the worse!"

Zebedee did have a point. Zak would have been verbally berated anyway, so he kept his mouth shut. He inched away from Zebedee and stormed off, still displeased with the latter. Perhaps, he thought, Zebedee was starting to not care about him. Instead, he felt, Zebedee was diverting his energies to the little guy.

Zebedee turned to face his reflection in the water and sighed, thinking on what would happen if Zak did indeed get cut up. Zip might have been relieved, but Zug… there was no way in telling how Zug would react. Perhaps he too would be relieved, but there was the real chance that he would break. Once he was finished being refueled, he steamed off for a steel contract he was supposed to do with Big Mac.

Big Mac was at the steel plant waiting for Zebedee to arrive, and was relieved to see the Z Stack steam in. "For a Zed, you're always punctual." He remarked, watching men load a steel barge.

"And I'm supposed to take that as a compliment?" Zebedee dryly asked, facing Big Mac. "Alright, what're we dealing with today?"

"The usual. Some of it's going Up River for their new buildings, but the rest is going for the skyscrapers they're building down the coast." Big Mac replied.

"Isn't that the railroad's job though?" Zebedee bluntly pointed out. "It makes us look like glorified butlers. Or whatever butlers are."

Big Mac chuckled and watched as Zebedee wrapped his lines around the barge. "It doesn't end, does it?" He mused, blowing his hooter to show that he was getting ready to leave. "Come on, the trains are expectin' us."

"I swear we wait hand and foot for those freight trains." Zebedee huffed, and the two tugs left the steel plant. They weren't very far in their journey when they heard shouting coming over from one of the canals. "Sounds like someone got into a fight." He remarked, shrugging it off as normal.

Big Mac heard the shouts too, and his face became serious. "That's not two dock workers back there. I swear I can hear Top Hat back there!" He exclaimed.

Zebedee was about to say something when he felt himself slowly get dragged over towards the canals. "Mac, ya gotta be serious! We're going to get in trouble with the railroad at this point!" He pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears. The two harbor tugs changed course and steamed into the canal, and quickly spotted Top Hat arguing with Zak. And it looked like it was about to get physical.

"Now Zak, you keep slowing everything down. Your engine is on its way out as is!" Top Hat explained. Frank and Eddie were in tow, and the two rail barges were muttering something about the railway tug falling back to his habit of picking fights with stronger vessels. "Now get out of my way and let me through!"

"I have a right to be here Toppy. I have to deliver these guys their coal barge!" Zak explained, not in the mood to deal with a tug like Top Hat. "Your captain is an idiot for assigning me switcher work. I can do anything!"

" _You_ can do anything?" Top Hat had lost patience. Oh that was it. "If you say so, go into the breaker's yard and rot then. You constantly keep everyone waiting for you. Makes it easier for everyone if I say so myself."

Zak was _**furious**_. "So you heard that Starr's gonna send me to the breaker's yard huh?" He asked, getting ready to charge. "I bet you won't care for me when I make love with the blow torch!" Before he could attack, he felt a line snag onto his bollard.

"Zak, Top Hat, stop this instant!" Zebedee snapped, not wanting to have a fight break out under his watch. "You both aren't helping anyone, so shut it!"

Zak turned to face Zebedee, and he snarled. So Zebedee was more concerned about the Star Tugs than him after all. Zebedee would not even care that Zak would have gotten arrested, if not killed for his actions. He quickly broke free of Zebedee's lines and hurried off towards his destination, realizing he lost this fight.

Top Hat wanted to thank Zebedee, but he was silenced when he was struck by a stray line. "Ow! What was that for?" He asked, drawing chuckles from Frank and Eddie.

"Ya pissed off Zak, and he is on the edge. Especially after he overheard a conversation involving Starr." Zebedee explained. "Don't piss me off, or else you might get what's comin' for you. Come on Big Mac, we gotta finish the contract."

Big Mac wanted to scold Zebedee, but Zebedee did have a point. Top Hat had a tendency of instigating fights, and he probably deserved that slap. Zebedee being quick to dissolve the fight left an impression on him too, and he too wondered if Zebedee would make a good addition to the fleet. However, Starr only agreed to be a caretaker. The two tugs hurried off towards the rail terminal, and neither one said a word.

* * *

The next day started off as normal, and Captain Starr was giving the morning briefing. "Now, there are some changes that have been made to today's workload. Top Hat, you will not be doing railway work today." He said, drawing the railway tug's attention. "Because of your fight with Zak yesterday, you will be assisting Zip and Zug with the sewage contract as punishment!"

"The sewage contract!? Captain, I am not _made_ for dealing with raw sewage, I am made for dealing with rail barges!" Top Hat complained, ignoring the bursts of laughter from the two Zero switchers. "I do not want to smell like a toilet!"

"But you don't complain when you smell like seagull poop." Warrior pointed out, and the other tugs laughed. Top Hat growled and started grinding his teeth, annoyed that Warrior had exposed him like this.

"Now now, there's work that still needs to be done! In the meantime, Zak, you will be doing Top Hat's work for the day. You need to learn how to be patient." Captain Starr said, turning his attention to the Z Stack.

Zak said a silent prayer of gratitude when he heard the news. Not only would this be a step up from what he had been doing, it meant that he would live another day! "What if I need help Starr?" He asked. "I may not know how to properly do all of Top Hat's work."

"Well, I might assign someone to help you out, I just don't know who though." Captain Starr said, looking at some papers. "I'll think about it and let you know. But for now, you'll be going solo."

Hercules was watching the two talk, and something in him began to stir. "You know someone is going to die because of Zak doing the railway tug's work. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?" Hades's voice came into his head, and the nagging feelings of imminent death started to come.

"Perhaps it's a random barge. Or Frank and Eddie depending on how Zak feels." Hercules mused, looking at Zak suspiciously. "Either way, I think something is amiss."

Ten Cents was getting his tasks for the day when he heard Hercules talking to Hades. He remained focused, but their conversation was starting to trouble him. Just how exactly was he hearing them? He slowly cocked his head to to see Hercules, but he wasn't moving his mouth. Once everyone was dismissed, he pulled Sunshine aside and quietly asked, "Did you hear Herc talk to Hades by any chance? Or was it just me?"

"No." Sunshine replied, raising an eyebrow in concern. "Is something the matter Ten? You look nervous."

"I heard the two talk, but Hercules wasn't moving his mouth at all." Ten Cents answered, trying to keep quiet. After all, he did not want to get reprimanded by Hercules or Captain Starr. "They were mentioning something about death."

"Death? On a day like this?" Sunshine was troubled. "How are you snooping on 'em anyway?"

Ten Cents wanted to answer, but he couldn't. Charon's existence would surely drive his best friend to madness. "I may have started hearing voices after I got rescued from Timberwolf." He whispered, and he became serious.

"I heard it once before. Trauma, wasn't it?" Sunshine quizzed, pleased when he got a nod from the bigger switcher. "It might have been the reason why you were seeing stuff that I couldn't see."

"I think OJ would know about it more than the both of us. I'll ask him when I help him out this afternoon." Ten Cents sighed. "He knows a lot of stuff, doesn't he? Come on, we got work to do." With that, the switchers hurried off.

* * *

At the same time, Zug was getting ready to go Up River with Zip and Top Hat when Zak arrived. Zip was confused, but Zug motioned him to go ahead and join Top Hat. "You need something from me Zak?" He asked. "I gotta head Up River with the two idiots!"

"I need to ask ya a good… shortcut if you will. I'm supposed to tow some of the prick's barges with Zebby this afternoon, and I need a good way to get to our destination." Zak replied, relieved that no one was paying attention to them. Yet.

"Yeah yeah, you just go through the canals. However, the tide can mess you up real good." Zug answered. After a minute, he got curious and asked, "Wait, why are you asking me all this?"

"Zebedee… crossed the other side." Zak huffed, relieved that Zug had been snagged into his scheme. Now to tell him his plan. "Zebedee's made the choice to suck it up to the Stars, so he has to go. Besides, Zorran would not have approved of his second in command joining the Stars."

"So you're gonna…" Zug was mortified by what Zak was telling him. However, the thought of Zebedee joining the Star Tugs was also concerning. "Zebedee is your brother Zak. If we do this, what do _I_ get out of it?"

"When the tide kills him, I'll be in charge!" Zak snapped, silencing the smaller Z Stack. "We can go back to the good ol' days, just like what Zorran would have wanted. Besides, he had problems with Zebedee from time to time. Now, you gotta keep quiet about this."

Zug was still nervous, but he gave a small nod. In the end, he wanted to respect Zorran and make sure his legacy would be honored. Zorran and Zebedee did get into fights from time to time, and Zebedee becoming a Star Tug was a great offense. "Alright Zak, I'll keep my mouth shut." He said, hurrying off to join Top Hat and Zip.

"Good." Zak said, pleased that he got what he wanted. With Zug on his side, he had the power to go and take control of the Zero Fleet from his brother. He laughed and steamed off towards his next destination, hoping that all would go according to plan.

A few hours later, Zak and Zebedee were in the harbor getting ready to tow some coal barges to the rail depot. Although Zak could haul the barge himself, his engine meant that Zebedee was tasked to help him out. "You look like you're in good spirits." Zebedee remarked, noticing how confident Zak looked. "Now, this barge shouldn't be too much for the both of us."

"Ya know, this arrangement isn't bad at all." Zak chuckled, tying his lines to the barge. Now to execute the plan. "C'mon Zebby, we're gonna be late!"

Zebedee quietly nodded and blasted his hooter, and the two brothers were off. During their journey though, Zebedee started to get suspicious. While his own lines were tightly secured to the barge, Zak's lines looked loose and sloppy. It was as though Zak had done this intentionally, but he dismissed it. Zebedee soon felt Zak change course, and spotted some buildings. "Why are we goin' this way exactly?" He asked.

"Taking a shortcut." Zak replied. "Besides, we're cutting the time we have for this delivery." As he spoke, he noticed the tide beginning to change. Perfect! He steamed with enough force for his line to become loose. Then… snap!

Zebedee was about to say something about Zak needing to slow down when he felt himself get lodged against some metal. "Zak! Help me!" He called, feeling something begin to puncture his hull. "Hurry, before the tide-"

"I'll get help. Just don't move too much, okay?" Zak said, now steaming ahead. "Besides, the Star Tugs would be crying over your dead body anyway." He muttered under his breath, ignoring Zebedee struggling to break free.

"Ya better make it quick Zak…" Zebedee muttered, watching as Zak triumphantly left the canals. He cut his line to the barge and now tried to focus on moving, but he screamed in pain as the debris penetrated his hull. He looked down and noticed blood began to seep out of his hill, and he blacked out.

It was early evening, and Hercules was heading home after doing patrols along the coastline. Then, he got the feeling he didn't want. Someone was about to die, and Hades needed to be there. "Looks like Zak had killed someone after all." He said to himself, drawing the attention of his Reaper. Instinctively, he changed course towards the city.

"Told you." Hades hissed, manifesting in the water below. "Now now, where did Zak dump the vessel? We shouldn't be too far, depending on where the poor vessel is of course."

Hercules was sailing towards the Star Dock when he spotted some strange fluid in the water. "Odd," He said to himself, and he followed the streak. His path led him into the backwater canals, and he cautiously traversed the ares to avoid bumping into anything that was hidden by the tide. Then, he spotted Zebedee impaled on harbor debris and paled. "What happened?" He asked himself, an immense wave of guilt overcoming him.

"It doesn't matter Hercules. I sense he's still alive." Hades said, now trying to take control. "You usually let me slide in these kinds of situations, but you're standing your ground." He remarked, noticing that he was getting some resistance.

"Something doesn't make sense in all this." Hercules replied, showing hesitation. "Why is Zebedee here? I know he was tasked to help Zak, but that's about it. Unless Zak did something he shouldn't have done..."

The moment he mentioned those words, he felt Zorran's presence. "THAT BASTARD!" Zorran called out, and his soul billowed out of the ocean tug's stack. Because Zorran was bound to Hades, only his head was present. "No way in Hell am I letting you two let Zak get away with it!" He shouted.

"Get back inside this instant!" Hades roared, now taking full control of Hercules. "You care so much about this one, but he's mine! Cuba and that Reaper of his didn't get their chance, so I'm all too happy to finish what they failed to do!"

Hercules's soul was now confined to Hades's reflection in the water, and he was panicking. "Hades, I will take you to Lucky's Yard if you do this." He shouted, not noticing that Zebedee was watching them. "Lucky's men might not be experienced with exorcism, but Lucky is."

"Not right now!" Hades grit his teeth, and now began to inch forward. However, he felt himself not go very far. It was as though Hercules was keeping him at bay. "Dammit Hercules, you're not helping me!"

"Hades, there is a reason why I _didn't_ want to die. Think of what would happen to the kids if Zeb died!" Zorran tried to attack Hades, but it didn't even affect the tug. "Zak will break 'em! He'll backstab 'em in favor of a new-"

" **ENOUGH**!" Hades roared, finally shaking off both Zorran and Hercules's influence. "I do not need interference, especially from you two!" Thick black smoke emerged from his stack, transforming into sharp blades. They were about to lunge at Zebedee when-

"You gotta stop Zak." A voice pierced the air, and the blades stopped just an inch from Zebedee's face. Although the tug was too weak to speak, the voice sounded exactly like him. "Zak is gonna do more damage to Zug and Zip than Zorran ever did. Hurry, before it's too late."

Hades was dumbstruck. Reapers never turned down a soul's real desires, and it was clear that this one wanted vengeance. To turn a soul down would bring about negative consequences for the Reaper, or so he heard. However, if he let Hercules get the crane, Zebedee would have been dead. Then, an idea came into his head, and he vanished into the night.

Meanwhile, at the Star Dock, Ten Cents was talking to OJ about what he was experiencing. "I guess I haven't been the same since my arrest. The trauma I went through was a lot more painful than what I thought." He sighed, and OJ nudged him in a gesture of comfort. "I'm doing better though!"

"Ten Cents, trauma like this lasts for life." OJ said in a serious tone. "I knew some tugs back in England who still got night terrors after helping tow in some battleships. It is painful yes, but we have to help you become mentally straight." He then heard a commotion and perked up to see Zip asking Zak about something. "What's he doing like this?" He asked.

"I thought Zebedee was supposed to help him out." Ten Cents gasped, and then the thought came to go grab some cranes and possibly get the other Star Tugs. And fast. "Now is not the time to ask Zak. C'mon, we gotta find Zebedee!"

OJ nodded, and he quickly alerted Warrior and Big Mac. "Something has happened to Zebedee! Zak mentioned something about Zebedee getting stuck in the canals." He said.

"Zak arrived at the place with no Zeb and no barge, and he didn't say anything." Big Mac pointed out, watching Zak and Zug comsole a sobbing Zip.

"Do we need a crane?" Warrior asked, steaming up to the other Star Tugs. "Or maybe two depending on how bad Zebedee got hurt."

"Now now, Starr is wondering where Zebedee and the barge went." Top Hat added, motioning to a bright light in Captain Starr''s office. This spurred the other tugs to action, and they set off. Within an hour, the five Star Tugs got together and had arrived with cranes in tow. Very quickly, they were mortified at the sight.

"Good Lord, what happened to 'him…" Big Mac remarked, looking at the scene.

"It looks like we're too late." OJ gasped, looking at how pale Zebedee's skin was. "Now he's a dead tug."

Sunshine squinted, and noticed that Zebedee was breathing. "He's still kickin! We might have a chance!" He said, looking up at the paddlewheel tug.

"Not with the way he got spiked though." Warrior pointed out, looking at the pier debris lodged into the Z Stack. "He might need some patching too."

"Ten Cents, Sunshine, go get Lucky and his men. They should be able to help him out before he can be repaired. Hurry!" OJ explained, watching as the two Star switchers hurried off towards Lucky's Yard.

At his office, Captain Starr got a call from the Coast Guard. Zebedee was found, but he was barely alive. He was mortified, especially after learning that Zebedee was the one who was assigned to help out Zak on that barge delivery. "I knew I should've pulled Zak from service today…" He said to himself, leaving his office to go to the scene. "Now I'm going to be the one paying for it."

 **Some notes:**

 **As stated in the chapter, Zak was sold to a scrap broker by his old owners due to his engine problems. He and Zebedee are also related, but the two were sold to different owners before falling into Zero''s ownership.**

 **Captain Starr's secretary now has a name: Dulcie!**

 **Reapers can be exorcised from a vessel by some skilled humans. The threat to be exorcised keeps Hades on his toes, but not always...**


	10. Chapter 9: Doubts

**Hello all! School has been taking up my sweet time, and I have had some issues trying to come up with ways to make sure the story worked. Now, we have some abuse, so be warned.**

The next morning, Captain Starr was doing the morning briefing. "Due to Zebedee's accident, he will be out of service for some time. It was a miracle that he was found alive, but it could take weeks if not months for him to be put back into service." He said, not noticing Zak curse under his breath. "In the meantime, you lot will continue on as normal. Dismissed!"

Once the Star Tugs left, Zak and Zug hurried over to what was once Zero and Marine headquarters. The company insignia had long since been removed, but the fence that divided the two buildings was not torn down. Perfect to discuss their next schemes. "I thought that the tide should've killed him!" Zak said, moving straight up to Zug''s stern.

"I thought so too, but those Stars found him before death did!" Zug said, looking at the large harbor tug with worried eyes. "What do we do now that the bastard is still alive?"

"If the tide doesn't kill him, then we will!" Zak said. "Now now, we gotta find ourselves some work before the Stars and the Coast Guard notice us. Go find Zip and bring him over. You both have work to do."

Zip was still at the Star Dock, wanting to ask Starr if he was telling the truth. His fleetmates had told him that Zebedee died, but he was now having doubts. The sound of shouting quickly drew his attention to the old building on the other side of the fence, and he quietly sailed over to the scene to see what was happening. What he heard shook him. To hear that his best friend would make an attempt on his leader's life was troubling, but Zak taking charge was even worse. He didn't even like Zak to begin with! Fearing retribution, he hurried away towards Lucky's Yard.

Zug turned to see Zip scurrying off and said, "Zip, get back here! Zak has work for us to- He looks spooked!"

"That means the brat heard everything!" Zak said, looking on towards the harbor. "And that means he'll be piss-colored before long. Bring him here at once."

"But Zip's my best friend- argh, alright!" Zug nodded (albeit timidly), and ran off to find the larger Zero switcher. "Stupid Zak is making me do _his_ dirty work, but it's all for Zorran's sake." He said to himself, trying to catch up with Zip.

Zip dared to not look behind him, worried that Zak was going to beat him. Or worse, sink him. Desperation began to take hold, and he wasn't looking where he was going. Then, he spotted OJ in the distance. "Help me!" He shouted, hoping his screams would draw the paddlewheel tug's attention.

OJ was helping do harbor work when he heard shouts, and he turned to see Zip. "I'm a little busy at the moment young- Zip, what's happening over there?" He asked, squinting his eyes to notice Zip looking frantic.

"It's Zebedee!" Zip said, relieved that OJ heard him. Now he had a chance to be protected from Zak and Zug! He steamed up and blurted, "Zak and Zug are trying to kill me!"

"Pardon?" OJ asked, looking at the Z Stack. "What made them set their sights on you?" He motioned for Zip to stick close, just in case what the switcher said was actually true.

"Well, they told me that Zebedee died last night. However, Starr said that Zebedee's still alive." Zip sighed, looking up at OJ with worried eyes. "I heard them talking about wanting to _kill_ Zebedee."

Zak, kill Zebedee? Zip was not the brightest tug, but his voice showed concern. "I know Zak has been struggling with his engine." OJ calmly replied, furrowing his brows. "But I don't see him-"

"So you don't believe me?" Zip interrupted, feeling rejected. "I don't want to be beat up!"

"I do believe you Zip, but I'm not sure if the others would be so quick." The paddlewheel tug calmly replied. "Come along, you can stay with me for the day."

"Thank you so much OJ. I'll do my best!" Zip smiled. For the first time in his life, a tug had shown him genuine kindness. Although Zebedee did this, he felt it wasn't legitimate.

* * *

Early that evening, Zip had gone to Lucky's Yard, apparently to keep close to Zebedee. Elsewhere in the harbor, OJ and Top Hat were discussing what happened earlier in the day. However, the two tugs were not agreeing with one another.

"How do you think Zak was responsible for this? There was no one at the scene!" Top Hat asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Zip heard something about Zak being mad at Zug. Although I have my suspicions about him, I feel he is telling the truth." OJ replied, furrowing his brows. "You know how Zebedee was found alone, right? Zak said he went to get help, but something doesn't add up."

Then, Warrior came in with a frantic look on his face. "Has anyone seen my coal barge? Supposed to do some coal deliveries, but it vanished." He said.

"Perhaps it was misplaced Warrior." Top Hat commented. "Did you check with the fuelling depot?"

"I did, they said someone took it." Warrior answered. "They didn't say who, they walked outside and the barge was gone!"

Little did the three tugs know that Zug had taken the barge. Zak wanted to ensure that the two had enough coal to last them for the week. And besides, it was a lot easier that way than waiting at the fueling depot. Barge in tow, he tried to sail through the harbor when he spotted another vessel. To his disappointment, the vessel was none other than Hercules. "Schieße!" He thought, and tried to speed up.

Hercules was getting ready to do some nightly work when he spotted Zug. What was he doing out there behaving so frantically? He was probably heading home, but he felt that something wasn't right. A ghostly raven out of his stack, and Hercules mouthed "find him". The raven flew off, disappearing into the harbor.

Zug was relieved that Hercules was not chasing him, but something was nagging on him. It was as though someone was watching him. He arrived at an old warehouse, where Zak was waiting. "Here's the coal Zak!" He said. "Sorry for being so late!"

"No need to make excuses, ya brought the barge." Zak said, looking at the coal. At this rate, he would have enough to outperform the larger Star Tugs. "Were you able to find Zip?"

"No, he somehow managed to escape!" Zug replied, inching back. He looked up and noticed a glowing bird looking down at him. He quickly looked back at Zak, who was now furious. Perhaps the bird was a sign. "Please, no! He was too fast!" The raven only watched as Zak struck Zug with ropes, not noticing Zug plead for mercy. And Zak berating Zug for bring worthless. After a while, Zak quietly took the barge and scurried off, telling Zug to come along. The raven flew off, following them.

At the Star Dock, Ten Cents was dozing off when he heard a voice. He opened his eyes and noticed nothing was off, so he went back to sleep. It wasn't long before he heard Zorran's voice, and he awoke to find himself in the same place from the last dream. "About time you showed up." He sarcastically replied, seeing the harbor tug right next to him.

"Eh stow it Star." Zorran huffed, glancing at Ten Cents. "Can't believe Zak would go that far to try and off Zebedee. They're brothers!"

"They look like they were separated at birth though. And besides, Zebedee is the prettier one of the two." Ten Cents snickered, looking on towards the river. "What got in Zak's head to kill 'im?"

"Even though Zero saved Zak's ass from the blowtorch, he got placed into third in command based on his engine alone." Zorran replied, looking around to see if no one was coming at him. "He gets too big for his keel, so I have to keep him put so that way he doesn't kill the others with work. Swear those two will pay for making Zak lash out like this..."

"Who though? You keep on muttering something about payback." Ten Cents asked, feeling that something was coming. He turned and noticed that Zorran was entangled, this time by a ghastly version of Charon. The scenery changed too, as the river became filthy black. "What are you doing here!? I was learning so much about Zak!"

Charon only snarled, ready to maim Zorran. "And so what? He's corrupting your ears!" He snapped. "The big guy already sent his bird to spy on Zak, so we should bag 'im in no time!"

So Hades already knew about Zak after all. Great. Ten Cents looked on at Zorran, who had tears welled up in his eyes. "Charon, let Zorran go. He knows stuff more about Zak than _all_ of us." He said, his voice firm. "Please, for Zebedee's sake."

The demonic tug pouted, tightening his grip on Zorran. "If I let him go, he'll tell the big guy, right?" He asked, looking right at Ten Cents. "Whatever Zorran's saying could cause him to change plans. And maybe make your friend a confidante."

"Or his own personal plaything." Zorran remarked, feeling the grip on his body slowly loosen. "Look, I'll tell your boss everything, and maybe he won't be so harsh. Besides, he has his own pair of eyes in the harbor, right?" He said, looking at Ten Cents.

Ten Cents nodded, and Charon let Zorran go. "See? Now we can work as a team. All three of us." He said. He was about to discuss some ways to get back when he heard a loud whistle. He awoke to see that he slept through the morning briefing, and Sunshine was by his side! _Dammit_! He thought, and looked up to a rather annoyed Captain Starr. "Sorry about that Captain, must've slept in." He said, forcing a grin.

"And from my master switcher too. Do not do that again." Captain Starr replied, shaking his head. "Zip is at Lucky's to stay by Zebedee's side, but Zak and Zug went off to do some work elsewhere. Ten Cents and Sunshine, you will be working with Zip on a fishing contract, so be sure to get him."

"Yes sir!" The two switchers said in unison, and hurried off. When they arrived, they noticed that Zebedee was looking slightly better than what he was. And that Zip had stayed up all night.

"What happened?" Sunshine asked, steaming up to the Z Stack. Zip could barely stay awake, so that was of much concern.

"Wanted to make sure Zak and Zug wouldn't come in and kill Zebedee." Zip replied, letting out a yawn. "Stayed with OJ yesterday before heading over here."

"So that's what OJ was talking about last night." Ten Cents gasped, giving the two switchers some space. This gave more confirmation that Zorran was telling the truth, and it troubled him. "But how did Zak do it though? No one saw 'em!"

"I heard him talk to Zug about a tide." Zip frowned, too tired to think coherently. "Are you guys heading off somewhere?"

"We got a fishing contract, and we need you to help out." Sunshine answered. "However, you might need some sleep!"

"But what if Zak comes in during the day?" Zip asked. He didn't want to leave his spot, as he feared the worst would happen if he wasn't there. "Or if they spot me? I'm done for!"

"You got us two! Besides, Zug tends to wimp out." Ten Cents smiled, assuring Zip all would be okay. "Besides, no one kills in broad daylight, right?"

Feeling relieved, Zip gave a small nod and lifted his anchor. He also started his engine, albeit with some trouble due to having no fire. The three switchers then hurried off, not wanting to be late. The contract was mostly uneventful, as Ten Cents and Sunshine kept an eye on Zip to make sure he wouldn't sleep on the job.

* * *

That night, there was an overall sour mood at the Star Dock. Warrior's coal barge had mysteriously vanished yesterday, and now Big Mac's steel barge turned up missing too. There was much banter as to whether or not pirates had come back to Bigg City, as the Green-eyed Pirates had been arrested. However, there was not much evidence as to who did it.

Ten Cents quickly fell asleep, as he had work to do the next morning. He opened his eyes to notice that he was having yet another dream, but this one was different. He looked around and realized that he was having a nightmare, and he tried desperately to wake up. However, before he could do so, Hades appeared.

"You look so nervous, but I have some good news." Hades smiled, steaming up to the frightened switcher. "Zorran told me everything, and now I have a new way to stop Zak. You know how he has Zug stick close by, right?"

"And you suggest we kill him?" Ten Cents asked, looking at the Reaper with disappointment. "I've seen you before. It's your preferred method."

Hades groaned and said, "Not like that. I propose that we make him and Zak regret their decisions. Those two have been causing problems for everyone, and since my host hates them, we-"

"I get it we kill them." Ten Cents replied, rolling his eyes. "Look, I'm not in the mood to kill any more vessels. Especially ones where they haven't done anything wrong except get damaged."

"This won't require killing." Hades was losing his patience, as Ten Cents was making snide remarks. "We have to drive them to their own paths, make them regret being in one another's company. Zug is still devoted to Zorran, and will do anything to respect him."

"But how? Zug isn't that smart though!" Ten Cents gasped, worried that Hades would torture the switcher.

"You'll see Ten Cents, you'll see." Hades laughed, vanishing into the night. Ten Cents was now left at an endless sea, and he slowly closed his eyes…

* * *

It was the middle of August, and Zug was frantically trying to get to the steel plant. Zak had plotted to out compete the Star Tugs by making Zug listen to briefings, then steal their barges. The barges would then be delivered to their destinations, earning them money. Failure to do so would result in beatings, but Zug kept telling himself "It's all for Zorran". And so he stayed with Zak.

He was feeling exhausted, so he stopped to take take a rest. "Why's Zak making me do all this work? Zorran won't run me to death!" He said to himself, many thoughts running through his head. "I need help, unless I can ask Zip to help! We're still buddies! But Zak wants his keel." He hurried off towards Lucky's Yard, his new goal in mind.

He arrived at Lucky's Yard, but was disappointed to see no one there. Zebedee was on dry dock, and he looked like he was slowly improving. "Or maybe I can tell Zak to get Zebedee. He's on dry dock." He thought to himself, and he turned to leave. He didn't make it far when he bumped into Zip.

"Go away Zug! Zak's got a grip on you!" Zip snapped, trying to shoo the other switcher away. He noticed some bruises and quickly put aside all suspicions he had. "Zug, what happened?"

"Zak beat me!" Zug whined, inching back. "Each time I screw up, he smacks me with his tow ropes! I do it all for Zorran though. Now, you gotta help me out, I can't do it all alone!"

"With what exactly?" Zip asked, now showing concern for his friend. However, something wasn't feeling right. "I gotta do some contract work with Warrior in the next hour."

"But this one is more worth it." Zug said, feeling pleased. He had some sway over Zip after all, especially when coming up with schemes. "Come on, I'll show you."

Zip wanted to go, but something was holding him back. He had been spending time with the Star Tugs, and was slowly earning their respect. If he followed Zug, who knows what would happen. He was about to inch forward when he spotted Hercules steam up, and his heart sank.

"And what are you doing here Zug?" Hercules asked, not paying attention to the Z Stack begin to shudder in fear. "Zip is clearly concerned for his friend, and all you want to do is to make him do your work."

"I work because I don't get paid otherwise Star!" Zug, trying to motion Zip to move. "Besides, he's more comfortable around me than a killing machine like yourself. Move Zip!"

Poor Zip was at a standstill. Should he go with Zug, or stay with Hercules? Both tugs taught him many things, but there were some differences. While Zug was shrewd and a little harsh when it came to teaching, Hercules was gentle. "I'll think about it Zug. Just give me a moment." He said, looking at Hercules. After a second, he said, "Maybe not today."

"You do realize that Zip has his own free will, right Zug?" Hercules asked, watching Zug fume. "His fears are justified too. I mean, who wouldn't want to incur the wrath of a slimy harbor tug?"

Zip watched as Zug backed off, and he hurried away from Hercules. He looked up at the ocean tug and muttered, "Thank you. I was getting worried for a second."

"Zug is all bark and no bite m'dear. He's simply a tool." Hercules sighed, relieved that Zip was safe. "Now, you need to work on using your free will. Makes it easier for you to make decisions when faced with a problem."

Zip wanted to say that Zug was a friend, but Hercules had a point. "Just keep an eye for Zebedee for me, won't ya? I gotta meet Warrior for some work involving garbage." He said, realizing he was going to be late. He steamed off, feeling the most confident he had a been in weeks.

That afternoon, Zug was relaying what he saw at Lucky's Yard to Zak. "Zebedee looks like a normal tug, but he's still in pain. He's on dry dock too!" He explained. He noticed Zak dozing off and he asked, "Aren't you paying attention?"

"I am, I am." Zak replied, having dozed off. "Now, we gotta find a way to bring Zebedee to the water and sink him there. Go to Lucky's Yard tonight and see if anything changes. And maybe find some rope."

Zug frowned and added, "But Hercules is there though. If he catches me, I'm sunk!"

"Then do it at night then! He's probably going to be back at the Star Dock." Zak huffed, looking like he was dismissing Zug's concerns.

"Yes Zak." Zug nodded, and hurried away. Now, he had to wait until he had his chance. Then, he could break Zip and make him help out.

It was midnight, and Ten Cents was heading home after escorting some shrimpers. "Those guys can be a handful at times." He said to himself, not paying much attention to what was happening. He was getting close to Lucky's Yard when he felt Charon's influence. "Not now Charon, I gotta head home." He thought.

"There's a golden opportunity in that yard. Hades wants to mess with Zug, yes?" Charon purred, his familiar tug form appearing in the water below. "Now come on, time's slippin!"

The switcher nodded and cautiously steamed towards the yard. He didn't get far when he spotted Zug with some rope. "Oi!" He shouted, drawing the attention of Zug. He noticed that Zug was dangerously close to Zebedee, and he bravely inched forward. His appearance began to change as well, with his gold paint slowly becoming maroon.

Zug panicked and tried to pull back, trying to drag the larger Zero tug into the water. "Come on come on!" He said, but then he felt himself become freed from his ropes. He turned to see Charon just a few feet away, and it looked like he was cross. "Who are you?" He asked, inching back. "Don't make me whistle for help!"

"My name is Charon." The demonic tug replied, eyes burning red. "Zebedee isn't yours anyway. What makes you think you can tow him under? Sheer willpower alone?"

Zug spotted some smoke creeping from Charon's stack, but it looked like a pair of knives. "I'll be happy to tell Bigg City that we have magic demon tugs! That way, Zorran will see you-" Before Zug could finish, his mouth clamped shut. He tried to continue, but something was pressing down.

"Try speaking about this again and you'll be mute before long." Charon smirked, gleefully watching Zug trying to speak. "I bet it will take hours before you lose your ability to speak."

Zug gave up his attempts at speaking and sailed away from the yard screaming. As he hurried back to Zak's hiding spot, all he could hear was Charon laughing. When he arrived, he noticed that Zak was asleep. He quietly moved to his spot and dropped anchor, praying for relief from this mess.


	11. Chapter 10: Contention

**Hey guys! I have been busy with school once more, but the semester should be ending in a month. Once the semester ends, I should be able to get more chapters up!**

 **It does have some abuse and language, so be warned.**

The next morning, Zip was sitting at Lucky's Yard, keeping an eye on Zebedee. The large harbor tug was breathing normally, but it was obvious he was still in a lot of pain. The workers did not mind Zip's presence, as they were too busy concentrating on improving Zebedee's condition. Zip sighed and looked at the water below, muttering, "I wish I'd find a way to help Zug out. He's in a lot of pain." He looked up to Zebedee, but the tug gave no answer. Tears trickled down Zip's face, and he started to sob.

A whistle turned his attention to the entrance, and Zip was relieved to find that it was only Warrior. "Something wrong Zip?" Warrior asked, noticing Zip's tears. He quietly sailed to the switcher, showing that he had meant no harm. "You have us in case you need help."

Zip was alarmed. "I'm just worried about everything though." He said, not looking at Warrior. "If Zebedee does die, Zak... Zak will sink me!"

"No one's sinking around here." Warrior sighed, offering a consoling bump to the switcher. "We've had our own losses too. I'm not good with the sadness thing, but Big Mac is."

Zip perked up at once, and he became nervous. Big Mac was one of the strongest tugs in the harbor, and he was incredibly stern too. Surely a tug like him would not give Zip the advice he needed, but Warrior was encouraging him. "Do you think he'll help? I mean, I did something horrible to him!" He sobbed, his insecurities becoming more obvious.

"Don't worry Zip, Big Mac knows lots of stuff." Warrior said, gently nudging Zip to move out of his spot. "Come on."

With hesitation, Zip drew up his anchor and followed Warrior out of Lucky's Yard. Within half an hour, Zip and Warrior arrived at the harbor to see Big Mac resting at one of the piers. The switcher was incredibly nervous, and worried that Big Mac would reject his offers of good will. With a gulp, he started (albeit nervously) with, "B-Big Mac?"

The harbor tug slowly turned his wheelhouse to see Zip, and was puzzled. "Need somethin'?" He asked, noticing how nervous Zip was. "No need to be shy lad."

Zip nervously sailed up, praying that this encounter would be peaceful. After all, he did things top Big Mac that got him damaged. "I just wanted to talk." He mumbled, not looking at Big Mac. "It's about Zug, and maybe even Zebedee."

"Zug? Has he been messin' with ya?" Big Mac asked in a gentle tone. "I heard you ran into a problem with him at Lucky's yesterday."

"He tried to get me to mess with you guys! I noticed some bruises on 'im too." Zip blurted out, worried that he blew it. "Please, Zug and I usually get forced to do Zorran and Zak's dirty work because they say we have 'no spines'."

Big Mac was now concerned. The possibility of Zak bossing Zug around during their time with the Star Tugs became even more real, and he motioned Zip to come closer. "Herc's showing you that you have one. He said that you told Zug 'no'." He said, hoping to calm the switcher down. "Does Zebedee force you guys to do these things?"

Zip shook his head, showing that Zebedee did care. "He usually stands up for me and Zug when Zorran or Zak get angry. Zorran doesn't care if Zak hits us." He cried. Then, he blurted, "Look, I was forced to push you into that sand bar!"

The harbor tug was confused. "Zip, I don't remember much from that incident. Sunshine ended up feelin' rejected because of what Zorran did." He explained, trying to console Zip. "He was just simply using you as a means to an end."

"But I could've hurt you Big Mac! Maybe even sank you with that push." Zip sobbed, inching back nervously.

Big Mac became even more concerned, and inched back. So the Z Stacks were more dysfunctional than what he thought. "It's against everything I stand for to lay a bow on a switcher." He said. "I forgive you for what you did."

Forgiveness? This was not what Zip was expecting, but the guilt he had for what he did was gone. "You, forgive me?" He asked, trying to process what Big Mac told him. He wanted to say something about how he wasn't expecting it, but he simply asked, "What exactly is forgiveness?"

"Forgiveness is making up with someone over past mistakes." Big Mac explained, tears rolling down his cheeks. With a small smile, he added, "It allows us to let go of what's botherin' us and move on. Maybe make a friend with someone who wronged ya."

"So... I can be your friend?" The switcher asked, relieved that Big Mac was doing this. "I mean, I was never taught how to forgive by Zorran and the others-"

"Yes Zip." Big Mac said. "Come on now, we have some work that needs to be done at the coal plant. We'll be able to talk more about it while there." With that, the two tugs left for the coal plant.

At the same time, Zak and Zug were talking at their hideout, and it was obvious that Zak was not happy. "What do you mean you couldn't take Zeb down? Wood can be pretty flimsy when you ram it!" Zak spat,

"Look, I couldn't ram it because of my scars from that beaching incident! I grabbed rope because I was strong enough to at least tow the wood." Zug pleaded, but it only made Zak more furious. "Look, my lines got cut by-

"Now Lucky and his men might look into us, especially when there are stray ropes left!" The harbor tug snarled, and smacked Zug with one of his lines. "You're becoming a real waste of my time by quivering like an idiot. Now tell me, how did the lines get cut?"

"It's Ten Cents-" Zug started to relate what he saw, but to his horror, he felt his tongue get held down at once. It was as though a physical force was preventing him from telling Zak what had really happened. Panicking, he tried to fight back the urge to not speak, but it was all in vain.

"Whatcha gonna do, cry about it?" The harbor tug asked, striking Zug with his bow. "Come on you little shit, spit it out! Zorran wouldn't approve of you being like this."

With a choked sob, Zug muttered, "He's cut my lines. Please Zak, Ten Cents has something you don't have."

"Seems I'll have to take down Zebedee myself because of that smug little bastard." Zak huffed, ignoring Zug's crying. "Shaddup and get back to work. I need that money, and fast!"

With some hesitation, Zug nodded and hurried away towards the coal plant. He now started to resent Zak, albeit he didn't show it. "So Zak's probably going to try and save his own ass in the end! If Zorran were here, he'd save me!" He thought to himself, but he bumped into Zip! "Zip!"

"You okay Zug?" Zip asked, noticing that Zug was sobbing and that he was covered in bruises. "You look pretty beat up."

"I'm fine." Zug replied, but he was lying. "What're you doing with Big Mac? Do you guys need some help?"

Zip felt that something wasn't right, and he asked Zug, "How come? Big Mac's a pretty strong tug."

The smaller switcher got annoyed and shouted, "Stop being a spineless idiot and answer me! Besides, Zorran and Zak wouldn't approve of you working with a Star like Big Mac!"

"Zorran didn't care if Zak beat us!" Zip blurted out, and Zug became pale as a ghost. "Zug, we talk more later-"

"Traitor!" Zug spat. "You never even cared that Zorran died!" However, he realized that Zip had become smarter than what he thought he was, and he hurried off before Big Mac could catch him. Little did he know that the glowing bird he saw was watching, and it had heard everything...

It was late August, and Zug was moored at an abandoned dock not too far from Zak. He figured that would be safer, as he started to become more cautious around the harbor tug. Whatever Charon did made it difficult for him to even speak up, and now he was nervous. He slowly closed his eyes and went to sleep. He awoke and found himself at the Star Dock, but something wasn't right. He undid his lines and started to build up steam when he heard Zip crying.

"The fuck?" He asked aloud, and now he wanted to tell Zip to calm down. However, the larger switcher was nowhere to be seen. "Zip, where are you?" He asked, but no response was heard. Odd. "Zip? It's me, Zug!" He sailed out of the Star Dock and quickly found himself at the steel mill. He heard the sobbing again and called for Zip's name once more, and didn't get far when he spotted a tug at one of the furnaces.

Zug, in his addled state, identified the tug as Zip. "Get out of there, it's way too hot for you!" He called, but the tug did not reply. "Your paint's gonna melt if you stay too close to the heat!" Again, no reply. Not wanting Zip to suffer death by fire he started to steam forward when he spotted a tug melting in the furnace. "Z-Zorran?" He asked, and tried to blast his hooter to draw Zorran's attention. However, Zorran did not respond.

The tug slowly turned his wheelhouse to face Zug, and it was only then that the switcher realized that he was not dealing with Zip. No, he was dealing with the demonic tug he and Zip had run into. "Wanna go into the fire and save him? Be my guest." Hades asked, grinning as he watched Zug pale. "He's been dead for a few hours now."

"HERCULES, GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Zug shouted, and the demonic tug only growled. He let out a high pitched shriek and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he realized that it was nighttime. And that Zak was gone. Perhaps Zak went back to the Star Dock to act more normal. Or he went to go kill Zebedee himself. He dismissed his concerns and went back to sleep, hoping that Zak would come back soon.

The next morning, Zug quietly steamed to the Star Dock to snoop in on some information for Zak. That way, he could relay to Zak which contracts were lucrative. Instead, he noticed that the other tugs were in a state of confusion. Intrigued, he quietly steamed to the entrance as to avoid drawing attention to himself.

"Zebedee was found in the water, and it was a miracle that he didn't submerge. However, this pushes back the time his repairs will take by a month." Captain Starr announced, reading some notes he had been holding. "No one knows who or what caused the wood to fail, but Lucky has taken precaution to have Zebedee pushed a little farther inland to prevent any accidents like that from happening again."

Zug hurried out, now wondering what had happened. "Zak's not gonna be happy when he learns that Zebedee is still alive." He said to himself, not looking where he was going. He bumped into Top Hat, who was doing some early morning work.

"Where do you think you're going Zug? You're supposed to be helping us out, not weasel in and out of the harbor!" The railway tug asked, looking rather frustrated. "You and Zak keep on flaking out of all your work. Now go and do what Starr tells you to do or else it's dry dock."

"How do you know your majesty?" Zug asked, trying to save face. "We tend to do our work at a different pace than you guys, so it's nothing to be worried about! I mean, you're of a low rank!"

"Starr told us during the briefing yesterday. He's getting pretty impatient about it too." Top Hat huffed. "And I heard something about Zak- brat." He said in disappointment, noticing that Zug had scurried off.

So Top Hat probably did hear about Zak's plan. Zug hurried back to the hiding spot and spotted Zak resting. He noticed some dents and scrapes on the harbor tug's bow, confirming that he had gone to sink Zebedee. "Zak, I have horrible news! Zebedee's still-"

"I know he's still alive! At this rate, I'll be happy if Starr sells him to a breaker." Zak replied, ignoring Zug's gasp. "Saves us the trouble of trying to kill him. Now, I need more cash to get my engine fixed."

"I know Zak, I know." Zug said, rolling his eyes. "Go rest yourself, and maybe we can get someone to help us out." With that, he hurried off to wherever he needed to be.

Zak was confused as he watched Zug hurry off, but ideas were already brewing in his head. "Maybe I can be a better leader than Zorran. He was placed up because he was healthier than me." He said to himself, remembering the days before Zero bought him. The words "your engine is draining our funds" echoed in his mind, and he tried to shake them off. "No, I'll be the best leader the Z Stacks ever had!" He said, realizing that the money towards his engine would take a while. Finding a tug to help him and Zug in their schemes.

In another part of the harbor, Ten Cents was dozing off after doing some contract work with Sunshine. He awoke to find himself in the harbor, but Zorran was right next to him. "You look smoldering." He remarked, noticing that Zorran was covered in soot and looked like he had taken heat damage. "Teasing of course."

"Thanks for the compliment." Zorran dryly replied, coughing up ash. "Getting used and abused as a prop is a little too much for a soul like me, don't you think?"

"Uh huh." Ten Cents replied, examining the damage. However, he heard Sunshine's voice. "I think I gotta go. We're supposed to be doing dredging!" He woke up and noticed a concerned Sunshine, and he muttered a quick apology. "Seems like I slept in again." He said, trying to force a grin.

"You've been dozing off plenty of times Tenny! You might need to get it checked out." Sunshine remarked, now taking on the role of a stern parent.

"I'm fine though! It's just that we both had a lot on our plate." Ten Cents replied, drawing up his anchor.

"No more of this 'fine' talk Tenny! You use it each time you look hesitant." Sunshine frowned. After a minute, he sighed and said, "I look up to you, and I keep on worryin' for you ever since the Timberwolf incident. I'm sorry if I'm-"

"No worries Sun. Hey, you're like a brother to me after all." Ten Cents smiled, relieved that all was well. "C'mon, we gotta go get some dredging done."

The two switchers hurried on, and soon arrived to pick up Scuttlebutt Pete. "What sort of dredging are we doing today?" Ten Cents asked, watching Pete climb aboard.

"Grampus came across an old galleon, so we're doing some dredging for the museum." Pete answered, reading the message he had gotten from the museum.

"Grampus's back already?" The switchers asked in unison, surprised at what Pete told them. Grampus had been charted by the Navy to do some work in the southern United States, and had been gone for a few months. To hear he was back so early meant that they could have a chance to talk to him again!

"He got back this morning and is taking a well deserved rest. Might be best to speak to him in the evening." Pete replied, and the three were off.

Zug was close by and heard the words. "Maybe I can get Zak to get enough cash for his engine this way." He thought, and he followed close behind. He didn't get far though, when he noticed a raven perched on his tow ropes. "Get lost!" He snapped, trying to shoo it away.

The raven cawed, and its appearance changed. It was now glowing, but the sunlight meant that the light emitted from the bird was limited. Its body was also covered in bullet holes, yet it could move without limping. It flapped its wings and took off, landing on the switcher's lamp.

Zug was confused, but confusion became panic when he noticed that no one else had seen the strange bird. "G-geist!" He shouted, hoping someone would listen to his call for help and scare the raven away. The raven simply called again, and Zug was becoming desperate. Then, he a whistle and paled.

"What're you hanging around like that for Zug?" Zak asked, watching Zug go quiet at once. "We're supposed to be stealing stuff, not scream like idiots!"

"But I saw a ghost bird!" Zug exclaimed. "It was glowing and- ow!" He grimaced in pain as he felt Zak shove him.

"Ghosts aren't real Zug. Now get back to work." The harbor tug ordered, and Zug quietly nodded. When Zug hurried off, he sighed and said to himself, "At this rate, I gotta hire the tug myself. And possibly take Zug out if he goes insane." He then steamed off, not wanting anyone to snoop on his schemes.

It was early September, and Ten Cents and Zip were getting ready to do some work in the harbor. Sunshine was gone helping Pearl, leaving just the two switchers to manage things. While Zip was a little nervous, Ten Cents was confident. "Now Zip, this work should be easy for us! It's not like shipping season." He explained.

"I know, but we have a few runners looking for stuff to buy." Zip said, having done some rum running himself. "Didn't do it a whole lot, but I know the others did."

"How does that even work though?" Ten Cents asked, puzzled by what Zip was saying. "I know there's secret compartments and all, but how would Zero fit you guys with those things? I betcha it costed money too."

Zip was about to explain, but then he noticed Zug coming towards them. "We gotta go, I don't want to deal with Zug again!" He whispered, hoping to not draw the smaller switcher's attention.

"Alright, alright." Ten Cents said, but he didn't get far when he came face to face with Zug. "Alright Zug, what d'you want?"

Zug looked pale as a ghost, and his body was covered in dents. "I had a dream." He explained, looking at Ten Cents with fear. However, his voice had sounded like it was slurred. "You gotta help me, Zorran keeps on dying!"

"But why though? Zorran's already dead." Ten Cents asked, raising an eyebrow. "You've become delusional, that's all."

"Me, delusional? He keeps on getting killed in horrific ways!" The smaller switcher answered. "And you had a-" He then went silent, and he started to break down.

Zip wanted to help Zug, but Ten Cents motioned for him to get out. There was no way in telling what happened next, especially with a tug who had likely gone insane. "But he's my friend though!" Zip pleaded.

"But he's gone mad! I'll alert the Coast Guard, you get to the harbor." Ten Cents said, noticing that Zug was becoming more desperate.

Zip wanted to stay and help, but Ten Cents did have a point. Zak probably wasn't too far from where he was, he thought, and ran away from the scene. He headed towards the direction of Lucky's Yard, and noticed that Zak was close by. He wanted to hurry and hide, worried that Zak would spot him. However, curiosity was overtaking him. What was he doing here anyway? With some caution, he followed Zak.

Zak was at Lucky's, deciding to check on Zebedee. Now that they moved him inland, Zak was hoping that he would be declared a loss and be scrapped. However, the men were making considerable progress. "He better kick the bucket before he wakes up. If he wakes up, it's the scrapyard for you." A voice in his head said, and Zak panicked. "He's healthier, stronger than you. Go and push him aside."

Zak now started to plot ways to get to Zebedee and kill him, and he looked for ways to get the tug to break. However, he had to make it look like an accident. And he had the feeling someone was watching him. He turned around to see Zip close by, and he was furious. "Alright Zip, what're you doing here?" He snarled.

"You won't get away with it Zak!" Zip exclaimed, not showing nervousness. "You're a murderer!"

"No one saw the accident, so it can't be me! You swallowed the crap the Stars have been telling you!" Zak said, now getting ready to attack. "You take back eat you said, and maybe you can help us out."

"All you do is beat us though! Zebedee made sure you wouldn't smash us to bits." Zip said, standing his ground. However, he was weak compared to Zak.

Zak knew this, and said, "Who's gonna save you now that he's on dry dock? Heh, you should've kept that mouth shut." He was about to attack when he spotted the distinct shape of an ocean tug. Great.

"And what are you doing at Lucky's Zak?" Hercules asked, and it was obvious that he wasn't happy. "Harassing a switcher is something the Star Fleet doesn't tolerate, and you're making it difficult for me to not ram you."

"He's trying to talk shit!" Zak said, trying to save himself. "He says I tried to kill Zebedee when he clearly got into an accident."

"Is that so?" Hercules asked, raising an eyebrow. He was starting to lose patience, and trying to keep calm was becoming a losing battle. "You aren't the most reputable tug for honesty Zak. It's no wonder Start had you pulled from service."

"That's a load of bull-" Zak threw some of his ropes at Zip, but he felt himself get rammed. He hissed in pain and looked up to see an infuriated Hercules. "You're gonna sink me in front of all of these people? Starr's gonna have a hell of a time explaining to the judge why I died."

Hercules motioned for Zip to stay still, as he didn't want to see him hurt. "And what, have my fleet die? With you being pulled, the city technically owns you now. Pull one trick and they can end you." He said. "Starr doesn't care if you live or die."

Zak was trembling, realizing that the words were probably true. Knowing the influence Hercules had, to try and fight back would be suicide. He inched back, and hurried away from Lucky's Yard at once. He would have to get back back at Zebedee later.

"Was all that true?" Zip asked, looking up at Hercules. "I mean-"

"I made up the city bit up. However, the rest is true." Hercules explained, glad to see that Zip was unhurt. "With you as a witness, we can get him dry docked. Or at least detained."

He was about to continue when he noticed Zebedee start to stir. Then, Hercules and Zip watched as Zebedee slowly opened his eyes.


	12. Chapter 11: Uneasiness

**I live! I have a few weeks of school left, so I might get busy trying to finish up on any final assignments. This chapter is a bit more mature than some of the others (we got some sex mentions), so it may be uncomfortable to some readers.**

Zebedee awoke to see that Hercules and Zip were close by, but he was unwell to properly identify them. The pain he was in was already unbearable, but he began to feel nauseous. He looked down and noticed the wounds on his bow, but it was starting to become much. "What happened?" He asked in a quiet voice, now trying to shield his eyes from the sun.

Zip wanted to tell Zebedee everything, but Hercules silenced him. If they told him everything at once, Zebedee would have been mentally broken. "You got into an accident Zebedee." Hercules explained, looking up at the harbor tug. "How are you holding up?"

Zebedee was confused with what the ocean tug had said before remembering that accident. All he could feel was pain, but there was a bit of information he had remembered that day. With a groan, he replied, "Zak promised he would be back!"

"Unfortunately for you, it took him hours to get help. In fact, the Star Tugs ended up saving you." Hercules calmly explained, noticing Zebedee struggling to process what he was told. "We were able to find you before worse came to worse."

"Then you should have left me there then." Zebedee said, drawing a gasp from Zip. "I'm a failure to as a leader by making Zug nearly kill himself. I should've done more to make sure Zak was not going to get scrapped. And now I got someone who wants my life."

Zip was worried, but Hercules slowly turned his wheelhouse to face him. "It's likely Zebedee heard everything we said." He whispered. "Come on sir, we need to head back. Let him process it." Zip wanted to stay, but he had no say in the matter. He mouthed a goodbye before sailing away with Hercules.

Zebedee could vaguely remember that Zak was panicking over getting scrapped, but something wasn't right. But then again, Zak was acting unusually cheerful when he had clearly been struggling with work. But for someone like Zak to kill him was too much. He watched as the two tugs left, and then slowly dozed off.

* * *

It was midnight, and Zebedee was fast asleep. Although he had woken up hours earlier, being on dry dock was taking a toll on him. He often woke up feeling nauseated, and there were times where it was becoming difficult for him to sleep. To make matters worse, he was in a lot of pain from both the injuries and the work done to correct them. He slowly opened his eyes, and noticed that the yard was covered in fog. Then, in the corner of his eye, he spotted an unwanted visitor at the gate. "Get outta here, Lucky's closed!" He shouted, trying to deter the intruder.

The visitor only slipped in, ignoring the harbor tug's protests. Then, he turned on his headlamp, revealing himself to be only Hercules. "Apologies if I came in this late Zebedee." He sighed, staying at a spot close to the harbor tug. "I had to do some work earlier, but I wanted to drop by and say hello."

Zebedee was in no mood to deal with the ocean tug, especially after giving him a fright. "You creep." He thought, not wanting Hercules to come closer to where he was. However, he quickly noticed something unusual about the other. Although Hercules looked calm, his reflection showed a maroon tug with sharp teeth. "Whaddya want then? My death?" He asked, trying to keep the ocean tug at bay.

"I don't want you to die Zebedee." Hercules answered, shaking his head. "That is something I refuse to have happen under my watch."

Zebedee squinted at the water, and the maroon tug became obvious. He swore he saw that same vessel before, and panic began to overtake him. Then, it hit him. He remembered seeing a maroon tug at the time of his accident, and he swore he saw multiple beings with him. "You better not get me like this Ares." He said, becoming apprehensive. "Even if Cuba's gone, you can't drag me down to Hell!"

Hercules immediately grimaced and stiffened, and was enveloped in a cloud of fog. Within seconds, the vessel that Zebedee had seen in the water had taken Hercules's place. "I suppose we never properly met, have we?" He asked, but his words were sharp. It looked as though he was furious that Zebedee had mistaken him for for someone else. "My name is Hades."

"Then why the Hell are you here then?" Zebedee asked, watching as the maroon tug got closer and closer to where he was. "Gonna finish me off before Zak or some random fucker else does?"

"No no." Hades replied, examining the damage done to Zebedee. "If I tried to kill you, Hercules would have killed me first. That tug is always panicking over the vessels he trusts."

"Hercules would've killed me regardless or not I got impaled, and all because I was associated with Zorran and Johnny Cuba." He replied. "Look, everyone's been telling me that I was almost left for dead. Even if the Stars did save me, there was still a chance that I would have bled-"

"I might not be able to protect you from those seeking your life, and how would Zip react? He'd be broken like Zug is right now." Hades pointed out, now looking up Zebedee. "I just have a favor to ask of you, but it's very minimal." He did have a point. Although he was slimy, there was the real risk of sabotage. Or worse, death.

Zebedee slowly nodded, showing that he was ready to accept what Hades had to offer. Although he wanted to keep Zip safe, the maroon tug was still unnerving him. "And what do you need from me exactly? Don't say I have to sell my soul." He asked, starting to get impatient.

"I just have to make some changes real quick. Just let me climb aboard." Hades smiled, pleased what he got. Once the harbor tug consented, he shifted out of Hercules's body, now in the form of a maroon mist. The mist blew towards Zebedee, and began to feel every nook and cranny of the harbor tug. Then, he felt something wasn't right at one of the wheelhouse doors.

Zebedee was bewildered by what he was seeing, and he looked to notice that Hercules appeared to be physically exhausted. He quickly looked back up, and in his delirious state, saw two glowing red orbs staring right at him. Then, he watched as the mist began to change in size. "Hercules, what's going on?" He asked, slowly turning his wheelhouse.

"Doing an inspection, or at least his own interpretation of it. If he does anything too stupid, I can call him back." Hercules calmly answered, dismissing it as nothing out of the ordinary. To his horror though, he noticed that Zebedee was forcibly turned to face the mist. "Hades, get off his deck at once. Zebedee is in-"

Hades ignored Hercules's request, and the mist began to shrink. What looked like a triangular-shaped head emerged from an opening in the mist, and it slowly opened its mouth to reveal rows of razor sharp teeth. Zebedee was bewildered by what he was seeing, and he wondered if the stuff Lucky gave him caused hallucinations. He then squinted and noticed a arm push out of the mist, and he realized that it probably was a hallucination. The creature then pushed out his remaining arm and opened his eyes, and immediately they began to glow a fiery red. Flames began to ignite from the creature's head, and it too burned red. The creature grinned and let out a chuckle as if to show the harbor tug what he was seeing was real before pushing the rest of his body out of the mist. The mist soon dissipated, revealing a shark- no, a humanoid creature that resembled a shark.

"What the fu-" Before Zebedee could ask, he let out a pained groan and grit his teeth in agony. The creature had planted his feet on the deck, and it felt as though someone had dumped molten steel onto his body, and he tried to shake the being off. However, his position in drydock meant that he could do little but to black out. The creature smiled at the pain Zebedee was in, and began walking towards his wheelhouse.

"You're going to kill Zebedee like this, Hades!" Hercules shouted, now fearing for the harbor tug's life. "He's been through enough as is! Now finish what you're doing and get back here!"

So that was Hades? Zebedee was mortified to hear this, and instinctively tried to call for help. However, he could only whimper in pain as Hades walked closer and closer to his wheelhouse. No way was he going to die like this, especially when a Star Tug was present. Then, he felt something crack and peel on his door. He couldn't see it, but his skin went pale upon realizing that he was beginning to rust. Hades must have been making this particularly painful for him for being associated with Johnny Cuba, he thought, and now he was really desperate. When he tried to mouth the word, he felt all air escape his lungs and noticed that his vision was starting to fade.

Hercules was furious, but helplessly watched as Hades let out a snarl at the harbor tug. It was as though Hades was reminding Zebedee who his new leader was, and the consequences of even daring to mistake him for a rival. Zebedee meanwhile was staring on towards the sea, but he couldn't even let out a whimper or breathe. Once the old paint chip was rusted away, Hades simply pressed his hand against the door. Within a minute, it was over. Hades stepped back, marvelling at the mark he placed on the wheelhouse.

"Was it worth it though?" Hercules asked, glaring at the creature. "You've put him in enough pain as it is." Hades nodded, and quickly shifted into a cloud of mist. He retreated back into Hercules's stack, not minding how Hercules only muttered a quick apology before setting sail for the Star Dock. Zebedee blinked and noticed that he was still alive, but he felt violated. With tears in his eyes, he could only watch as the ocean tug slipped away.

* * *

The next morning, Zug was racing back to the hideout. Like many of the Star Tugs, he had heard the news that Zebedee had woken up and now there was a chance that he would be refloated. If Zebedee ever learned what really happened, Zug thought, there was a good chance Zak would get chased out or even sunk. Then there was the concern of how the other tugs would react to Zug's involvement. Would he get sunk too? He spotted Zak dozing off and blasted his hooter. "Wake up Zak! It's bad news!"

"What sort of bad news?" Zak asked, cursing as he woke up. "Don't be mousey with me Zug. Speak up!"

"Zebedee, he… he woke up!" Zug answered, struggling to find the right words to describe what happened. "Starr's saying that he should be floated in the next few days if repairs go smoothly."

"WHAT!?" Zak asked, and now he started to panic. "That means my plan's gone to waste! If it weren't for that banana boat bashing me, we could've gotten away with it."

"Didn't you see this coming?" Zug asked himself, but to his horror, he noticed that Zak had overheard it. "I mean, no one was expecting him to come back so early already."

Zak simply ignored Zug, and steamed out of his hiding spot. "The only reason why I haven't succeeded is because of that idiot." He thought, turning to see Zug timidly steam up to him. "Maybe if I set him up to fail, he'll take all the blame while I get a replacement tug. But how?" He hurried off, leaving the switcher behind.

Later on during the day, Ten Cents and Sunshine were on their way to go and assist some fishing vessels with a contract. When they arrived, they noticed that the vessels they needed to meet up with were not there. "That's strange." Ten Cents said, wondering where the vessels had gone. "They should have been there a few minutes ago."

Sunshine noticed that the company that owned the vessels had megaphones, and he blasted his hooter to draw the attention of the humans who worked there. "Excuse me!" He said, smiling when he noticed someone turning to see them. "We're supposed to do a fishin' contract, but these guys went missing. D'you know where they went?"

"Zug was escorting them out to sea, saying that Captain Starr gave him that job." The man explained. "One of the guys gave him the okay, but we clearly asked for you guys to come."

"Zug doesn't even know where those good fishing spots are. Come on!" Ten Cents said, and he and Sunshine set off to find Zug and the missing fishing vessels. Knowing Zug, there was the real risk that someone could get hurt. It wasn't very long before the two switchers spotted Zug and the fishing vessels dangerously close to Dem Der Rocks.

"Zug, this isn't a safe spot to be fishing at." One of the vessels called out. "We'd sink instantly if we ran aground. Can't we find a different place to fish?"

"No! There's lots of fish that hang out here though." Zug said, but it was clear he was getting impatient. "That means more money for the lot of you guys." He then said to himself, "And more money for Zak as well."

"Zug that's our job!" Ten Cents shouted, drawing the attention of the other vessels. He and Sunshine steamed up to confront the rogue switcher, not in the mood for excuses. "Captain Starr said so himself!"

"What're you guys doin' here?" Zug asked, steaming up to Ten Cents and Sunshine. "You guys were running late, so I took these guys here. You should be thanking me for the work that I did!"

"We weren't running late though!" Sunshine replied, trying to make sure a fight between Ten Cents and Zug wouldn't break out. "You might have had the best intentions Zug, but you should've let us know first before you ran off. It's incredibly dangerous!"

Zug was in no mood to be reasoned with, and he started to get dangerously close to the switchers. Then, he turned to see that one of the fishing vessels had struck one of the rocks. "It's all your fault for it! Now you guys might lose the contract!" He taunted, not noticing that Ten Cents's reflection was changing. He took a glance at the water and screamed, running off before Ten Cents could even reply.

Ten Cents was livid and wanted to make sure Zug would get justice served, but he and Sunshine hurried over to help the vessel. While making sure the vessel was alright, he got the nagging feelings he loathed. "Now we have to make sure Zug pays for this." Charon said, hoping that would incite the switcher to go kill.

"I take it we kill him?" Ten Cents asked, relieved that to see that the fishing vessel was just slightly damaged. "I'm all for making sure he gets in trouble for this, but we can't be going that far. Besides, he'd panic if he saw you out and about."

"Oh he already did." Charon chuckled. "He would've been alerting the whole city too, so I cursed him- hey, aren't you paying attention to me?"

Ten Cents was too busy to care about what Charon had done, as he and Sunshine had apologized to the fishing vessels for what Zug did. Then, the two switchers helped the fishing vesserls take their injured friend to Lucky's Yard. Once the vessels left, Ten Cents looked down and noticed that Charon was in the water. He was relieved that Sunshine wasn't paying attention, otherwise he would have fainted. "What do you mean you cursed him?" He asked.

"The curse makes it so that he won't speak if he tries to bring me up." Charon replied, and he only smiled as he watched Ten Cents's eyes widen with shock. "Relax, if he continues he would have sounded like a lunatic."

"No kidding." Ten Cents grumbled, and he and Sunshine set off to explain to Captain Starr what had happened before Zug did. When they arrived, they were relieved to see that Captain Starr had out his megaphone and was not looking cross. Yet. "Cap'n, it's Zug! He tried running-"

"I heard everything, and I'm very relieved that the fishing vessel wasn't seriously damaged." Captain Starr replied, looking down at the two switchers. However, he folded his arms and said, "However, I am very disappointed that you two weren't diligent in getting to the fishing vessels on time. Zug could have caused a serious accident were it not for you two stepping in."

"What?" Sunshine gasped, staring at Captain Starr in disbelief. "But it wasn't our fault though! Zug made them fish at Dem Der Rocks!"

"He's right!" Ten Cents added, looking up at the captain. "I know that Zug tends to scurry off during morning briefings, and Zak isn't here at all these days. Do you think there's a connection between the two and what's been happening around here?"

"I am not one who speculates Ten Cents." Captain Starr replied, silencing the switcher. He then added said, "I'll look into it, but I don't expect much to come out of it." He watched as Ten Cents and Sunshine left with frowns on their faces, and he let out a heavy sigh as he settled back into his chair. "I know some of the Stars were complaining about barges going missing, but this is nothing like the pirate incident." He said to himself, remembering the events of that day. "I might have to call the Navy if worse comes to worse."

Ten Cents and Sunshine were very disappointed in what Captain Starr told them, and said nothing as they sailed back towards the harbor. Along the way, they saw OJ helping out with some towing work. Maybe he would offer advice on how to deal with the problem! Ten Cents blasted his hooter, hoping that would draw the paddlewheel tug's attention.

"Hello Ten Cents! Hello Sunshine!" OJ greeted, smiling as he turned to see the switchers. However, he frowned when he noticed that the switchers were showing visible concern. In a gentle voice, he asked them, "Is something on your mind?"

The two switchers nodded and steamed over, and related everything that had happened earlier in the morning. "Zug was taunting that we were getting in trouble for interrupting his work, then ran off when he saw my reflection." Ten Cents said, looking up at the paddlewheel tug. "Starr said he would look into it, but he added that we should have been more diligent."

"I don't blame the captain for saying that. After the incident with Sea Rogue and the pirates, he's more worried about barges than ever." OJ remarked, and he motioned for the switchers to come closer to him. "What Zug did was reckless, and he could have gotten someone seriously injured. The Port Authority and the Coast Guard might not believe his story, that is, if he tries to explain it to them."

"That's always a good thing." Sunshine chuckled, knowing that the Port Authority was not one who was swayed by Zug. "Even then, we should have done more to make sure that Zug should not have gotten the chance."

"I wouldn't dwell too much into it. Big Mac, Warrior, even Top Hat have been getting incredibly suspicious about Zak and Zug's behavior." OJ added. "In the meantime, it's best to be on our guard. That way, Zug won't get away with more shenanigans."

"You sound a lot more gentle than Starr OJ. Maybe you should be a captain!" Ten Cents teased. "But don't worry, we'll stay on top of things. And keep an eye on Zug."

"Me, be a captain? I have to grow a pair of legs first and then I'll consider it!" OJ teased, not minding the chuckles from Ten Cents and Sunshine. "Well, it's best to get back to work!"

"Later OJ." Ten Cents smiled, and he and Sunshine watched as OJ sailed towards his destination. "Well Sun, looks like we aren't alone." He said, looking at his friend.

"OJ's a good tug, so he knows what's happenin'." Sunshine added, looking up at Ten Cents. After a moment, he asked, "If Zak and Zug are workin' together, how do we catch them?"

"I'm not sure Sunshine." Ten Cents sighed, looking on towards his destination. "I'm just not sure."

* * *

A week had passed since Zebedee had woken up, and he was now coming closer to having his repairs being finally finished. However, there was a change in him. He would now only say a few words to the men, but that was it. He had no desire to communicate with the other vessels who came to Lucky's for repairs. On this particular afternoon, he was watching as the men working on him were taking a lunch break. However, he heard a whistle and looked up to see Ten Cents at the entrance.

"Hey Zebedee." Ten Cents greeted, hoping that the large harbor tug would not mind his presence. "I was hopin' to have a little chat."

"Get out Star." Zebedee said, glaring at the switcher. He was in no mood to talk, especially since a tug like Ten Cents had come in without permission. "Last time a Star came here, I watched him turn into a monster."

Instead of leaving, Ten Cents became concerned. "What happened exactly?" He asked, slowly steaming into the yard. "I might be able to explain-"

" _ **GET OUT**_!" Zebedee roared, showing he was in no mood to speak. The men dropped their lunches to try and see what had the tug so worked up.

Ten Cents inched back, now regretting his decision to come to Lucky's Yard. He mumbled a quick sorry and hurried off, not looking at Zebedee. "What's gotten into Zebedee?" He asked himself, sailing back towards the harbor to meet up with Zip and Sunshine. "He isn't like this at all."

Meanwhile, Zug was in the harbor taking a nap between the work Zak had sent him to do. To say he needed the rest was an understatement, as Zak had tasked him with doing work that would have needed two switchers or even a single harbor tug. To make matters worse, he wasn't getting paid, and he was beginning to have second doubts about working for the tug. He awoke and found himself at Dem Der Rocks, and he slowly examined his surroundings before blasting his hooter and steaming off.

"This better not end badly for me this time." He said, wondering how and why he ended up here. In the real world, he was sleep-sailing. This meant that while he was asleep, his body was moving towards no destination in particular.

Ten Cents was now with Sunshine and Zip, and they were on their way to collect some barges from the fueling depot. The three tugs discussed Ten Cents's meeting with Zebedee, and Zip became concerned. However, Sunshine comforted him, and suggested that with the right amount of help that Zebedee could heal and be able to come home. The three tugs spotted the barges, and soon set sail for their destination.

In the dream world, Zug was trying to navigate out of Dem Der Rocks. However, he was having a difficult time doing so. "Why does it feel like I'm going in circles?" He asked, not looking where he was going. Then, he looked up and saw Zorran's body wedged on some rocks. The mighty harbor tug was impaled, and filthy black smoke was billowing out of his body. Zug was frozen in fear, and he watched as the smoke began to form into a massive shark-like creature.

"Snap out of it Zug!" The voice called, but it sounded much like Ten Cents's voice. With a chuckle, it shouted, "I said snap out of it!"

Zug screamed and shut his eyes, hoping the creature would not kill him just as horrifically as it did to Zorran. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in one of the main waterways. And that Ten Cents, Sunshine, and Zip were in front of him. "I'm sorry-"

"You could've gotten hurt!" Ten Cents replied. "That's why we were trying to wake you up."

Zug felt horrible. Perhaps these dreams were a sign, that he should possibly choose good instead of evil. However, that creature burned deep into his mind. "I didn't mean to get in the way. It's just that I've been working too hard." He said.

"You just scurry off though." Sunshine pointed out, not believing his claims. "Is there something you need to say Zug?" He asked, noticing Zug becoming apprehensive.

Zug said nothing and glared at the three other switchers in response. He then huffed and hurried off, not wanting to humiliate himself even further. He soon arrived at the fuelling depot, and spotted a large barge being filled. An idea came into his head, and he hurried off towards the hideout.

Zak was trying to hide a fuel barge and some money when he heard a loud whistle, and he turned to see Zug smiling. "What got into your head this time?" He asked, letting out a sigh.

"I saw a large fuel barge at the depot, and maybe we can bring that for Lillie Lightship!" Zug grinned, and he described it to Zak. "What if we bring it to her and try to impress her? That way we can get more money flowing!"

Zak was intrigued, and the voice in his head came back. "Trying to appease the ladies eh? I figure that'll make you a better leader than Zorran ever was." It said. "Zorran tried to woo some girlies, but he got rejected. Your strength means you might have the chance to impress her."

"Maybe I can finally show off that I'm of fine stock." Zak thought. "Even if my engine is crap, I might be able to impress her. Maybe even have her support my cause."

"Lightships are glamorous just like movie stars." The voice said, tempting Zak even more. "Make her yours, and you'll be the best Z Stack there ever was."

Zak smiled and said to the switcher, "Find the fuel barge and bring it out to the harbor limits tonight. I'll meet ya there. Once you're done, you get the night off."

"Danke Zak." Zug nodded, relieved that he would have one last task to do for the day. "I won't fail you now!" With that, he steamed off towards the fueling depot.

* * *

It was late evening, and Zak was sailing towards the estuary with the fuel barge Zug had given him. Although Lillie had issues with the Z Stacks because of Zorran, Zak hoped to change her mind. He spotted a faint glow out in the distance, confirming to him that it was Lillie. "Here's the fuel miss." Zak greeted, not noticing Lillie's disgusted face. "Now don't get too upset if the kids aren't here. I'm technically one of the Star Tugs now."

"My hero." Lillie replied in a sarcastic tone, wiping away any hopes Zak had of wooing her. "You might want to have a read before you bring me fuel barges. This light of mine isn't made for flying."

Zak was bewildered, and turned his wheelhouse to see the word "airplane" scribbled on the tank. His eyes widened, and his cheeks became red with embarrassment. "I'll shove my bow into that little switcher for this!" He said to himself.

Unfortunately for Zak, Lillie had heard what he said. "It sounds like your... preferences haven't changed." She said, wanting the Z Stack to be gone. "Remind me Zak, who was the one who thought that going after the champion sailboat was a good idea? He said you were a terrible vessel to tie lines with. If you know what I mean."

"You shut your mouth bitch." Zak snarled, glaring at the lightship. However, she knew of what he really did. To try and physically hurt her would incur the wrath of the Star Tugs, and he knew the outcome would likely be fatal. Perhaps verbal intimidation would do the trick in silencing her. "I bet you the Stars take turns servicing you. Those flush red cheeks say it all, don't they?"

"You're the one treating men and women like rubbish." Lillie spat, standing her ground. "It's no wonder you keep getting rejected left and right. Now beat it before I alert the Coast Guard."

"The Coast Guard isn't around to help ya out Lillie. Now you're gonna pay for that!" Zak said, building up steam pressure in his boiler. Lillie had no means to defend herself, so a quick ram to her bow would guarantee her getting sent in for repairs. And deter her from raising her voice again.

Lillie was becoming nervous, as she knew how strong the Z Stack was. She spotted a vessel getting very close to them, and in a panic, blasted her horn in hopes that the vessel would listen and come closer. "If you hit me, Starr might have you put on dry dock." She said, trying to deter the Z Stack. "Possibly might even have you turned over to the Navy for questioning."

"Nah, he has no ownership over me. Starr wants me dead!" Zak spat, and lunged forward.

 _Wham!_

Zak felt a sharp bump at his stern, and he realized that it was another tug that hit him. One of the Star Tugs must have heard him! He turned his wheelhouse, and immediately paled upon seeing who it was that hit him.

"Back off Zak." Big Mac huffed, looking right at the Z Stack. "Lillie isn't yours for the takin'. Besides, you just made her hate the Zeroes even more."

"How d'you-" Zak asked, trying to defend himself. Now was the time to panic. Big Mac had likely seen the airplane fuel tank, and that meant he was going to be arrested. He cut the lines to the fuel barge and slowly backed off, muttering "you didn't see that" before scurrying away towards the harbor.

"Are ye alright Lillie?" Big Mac asked, worrying that the lightship was shaken up. Lillie confirmed that she was safe with a small nod, and Big Mac sighed a breath of relief. He turned his head to see the fuel barge, and he was perplexed. "What was Zak doin' with this?" He inquired. "It isn't even the right fuel too."

"He tried to use a barge of airplane fuel to impress me." Lillie replied, but there was a bit of shakiness in her voice. "He mentioned something about Zug. You need to get back, I have a feeling he'll try to harm the others. Maybe even kill them for getting caught in the act."

"Interestin'." Big Mac muttered. "Our barges have gone missin' and we've been getting worried. Unless..." At that moment, it all clicked. "OH THOSE BASTARDS WILL PAY!" He shouted, realizing what Zak and Zug were really doing. He hurried off back towards the Star Dock, wanting to tell the others what he saw.

 **Notes:**

 **As shown in the bargain sequence, True Hades _finally_ makes his appearance. He sports two forms: one a maroon cloud of mist and the other a savage shark demon. Both of these forms can be seen on Twitter, but I'll link posts that show both forms. **


	13. Chapter 12: Arrested

**I LIVE! Finals are done, and I have a few weeks until the start of a new semester! We finally have major character death, so be warned.**

The morning briefing at the Star Dock had become rather chaotic, as Big Mac was telling everything he had seen and done to Captain Starr. He had already alerted the Coast Guard and the Port Authority about what was happening, and now the captain had to be caught up to speed. "Zak was hauling a barge full of plane fuel and tried impressin' Lillie with it." He stated, drawing gasps from the other tugs. "He started becomin' aggressive when she turned him down, but she called for help. I heard it and stepped in before worse came to worse."

"Why was Zak stealing fuel barges? It's not like he works hard at all anyway." Top Hat asked in a haughty tone. "Besides, he's the one who convinced Zebedee to sail through a canal during high tide. No one was hurt, but-"

"We know what happened Toppy!" Sunshine interrupted. "We've been seein' Zug scurry around, especially during morning briefings. One of the fishing vessels we were supposed to help almost sank because of him."

"We've been wondering if Zak and Zug were working together." Ten Cents added. "Zug's a wimp unless he has another tug guiding him. That's why he usually stuck to Zorran or Zip unless the work was serious."

"I did hear Zak and Zug talking plenty of times. And there's been the thing with Zug looking bruised and battered." Zip said, looking at the other tugs with a frown on his face. "Maybe they're trying to revive the Z Stacks and make it better than when Zorran was in charge."

"I figured we'd all come to that conclusion one way or the other." OJ remarked, looking at Zip. "Everyone knows that fleets are more than just businesses. They're family too."

"OJ is right!" Captain Starr said, finally speaking up, "Now, I will be contacting the Navy about this matter. Given how they usually respond to issues, it might take a few days before they get here. In the meantime, I recommend working something out with the Coast Guard. Dismissed!" The Star Tugs sighed a breath of relief, and each tug went their own way to go and do work. However, many of them were thinking of ways to bring Zak and Zug to justice.

Later on that morning, Ten Cents and Sunshine were sailing through the harbor on their way to the estuary. They had been tasked to tow vessels who had been coming out of quarantine, and it was important that they be there. "I'm still wondering about Zak and Zug." Ten Cents said, looking at Sunshine. "Do you think they're gonna be up to their old tricks now that the Coast Guard's been made aware?"

"Perhaps they'd be forced to hide after the fight with Big Mac." Sunshine mused. "Or Zak's getting really desperate and wants a way out. You just never really know with him."

"His engine still hasn't been worked on yet though. Or last I heard." Ten Cents added, but then he spotted some unused barges. Almost immediately an idea came into his head. "Maybe we can use these barges as bait! We can say it's engine parts, or really expensive machinery!"

"That'd be brilliant!" Sunshine said. "I'll let the others know and see what they think of it. Who knows, it might actually work!"

"Sounds great!" Ten Cents said. "We need to keep this in the back of our minds though, we have work to do!"

It was afternoon, and Ten Cents and Sunshine were hurrying into the harbor to alert the other Star Tugs about their plan. When they arrived, they noticed that several of their fleetmates were talking amongst themselves. "What's wrong?" Ten Cents asked, noticing that they looked like they were serious.

"We told the Coast Guard and he said that he needed proof." Warrior answered with a frown. "He says that there's more than just seeing stuff happen."

"Warrior's right, you need proof in order to even have someone pulled aside for questioning." Big Mac added. He looked down at Ten Cents and Sunshine and said, "You guys look excited. Is everything alright?"

Sunshine nodded and said, "Tenny and I might have come up with a way to draw out Zak and Zug. We can use an old barge, fill it up with junk, and say that they're very expensive parts!"

Warrior was enthused at the idea. "I can get some garbage and use that! We have some old Model Ts sitting at the dump."

"Would those imbeciles fall for battered automobiles though?" Top Hat asked, raising an eyebrow. "You need a tarp to go and hide them."

"Even if Zug fell for an empty barge, Zak probably wouldn't." OJ added. "It would be quite ridiculous putting a note in a barge and covering it with a tarp."

While they were talking, Grampus emerged from the water. He noticed that the tugs looked quite concerned, and he thought he might be of assistance. "I might be able to sneak in and listen!" He smiled and offered. "I helped Ten Cents, Sunshine, and Sea Rogue get the pirates arrested!"

"That's a good idea Grampus!" OJ said. "However, since you're one of us, they might notice you."

Hercules soon arrived, and he looked quite positive compared to the others. "What are you all talking about?" He asked.

"We wanted to find a way to stop Zak and Zug from causing more problems for us." Ten Cents answered. "Zak already tried to cause trouble for Lillie."

"Lillie told me everything when I went to check on her." Hercules said, and he quickly became serious. "What sort of method are you using to get Zak and Zug into a corner? It might not work if it's planned poorly."

"Good point Herc." Big Mac said. "We were thinking on making a fuss over a barge of junk. Maybe even cover it and say that it's something else."

"We just need someone to catch them in the act, and maybe follow behind them to where they're hiding." Grampus replied.

"I'm sure you'll be of great assistance, but we need another vessel to trail behind them. You'll make yourself obvious to them, especially if Zug met you." Hercules replied, looking down at Grampus. Then, an idea came into his head. "Perhaps we can hire a motorboat. The vessel might not talk, but their owners can be easily swayed when money is involved."

"Perhaps we can convince the Coast Guard to send his messenger to go and trail behind them! He's elusive to where he caused my accident with the Fultan Ferry." OJ said, soliciting a groan from Top Hat. "We just need to contact the Coast Guard and let him know of our plan.

"Then it's settled." Hercules grinned. "Now, time is not on our side, so we need to make this quick." Once everything was said and done, the vessels went to their assigned positions and Grampus submerged underwater. Now it was a waiting game.

* * *

It was the early afternoon, and Zug burst into the hideout he and Zak had been using for months. "Zak wake up!" He shouted, noticing that his leader was asleep. "There's something coming into the harbor tomorrow!"

Zak woke up with a groan, and he was too furious to be talking to the switcher. Especially after cocking up on fuel. He was tempted to ignore Zug and simply go back to sleep, but he was forced to pay attention after feeling a bump on his bow. "What is it?" He asked, not looking at his partner.

"The Stars are saying that a barge is coming in from New York tomorrow." Zug answered. "No one knows what it is though."

"We get 'em all the time, especially since New Jersey and New York are right next door to each other." Zak yawned, still ignoring Zug. "Did they ask if it was anything important?"

"Well, the three little jerks said they were engine parts." Zug answered, inching back in case Zak was going to lash out. "I went to ask the top hatted bast-"

" _Engine parts_!?" Zak was now wide awake. "So Starr's finally true to his word and giving my engine the love it needs! Hell, we have enough money to cover the cost of the replacement!"

Zug was trying to tell Zak that the barge might have something else, but Zak was so excited that he went silent. "If he gets his engine fixed, that means that he'll stop beating me." He thought. "But how'd Zorran react to all this?"

* * *

The next morning, Zak had sent Zug to steal the mystery barge from the Star Tugs. Zug looked around to make sure that no one was watching, as he worried that someone might spy on them and lead to their downfall. But then again, Zak had a massive ego. He spotted a barge neatly moored at one of the docks, and he was intrigued. The barge had a massive tarp draped over it, as though to cover it from the elements.

"So that's the barge they were talking about." Zug said, quickly undoing the lines to the barge before throwing his own lines over it. "Zak will be very pleased!" Once he tied his own lines to the barge, he set off. Nearby, Grampus and the Coast Guard's messenger emerged from their hiding spots. The messenger began to slowly trail behind Zug, doing his best to make sure he wouldn't get caught.

Zug was sailing through the harbor when he spotted Ten Cents and Sunshine. Worried that he was going to get caught, he veered towards a canal that he knew would allow him to avoid capture. He still wasn't aware that the messenger was trailing behind him. Or that the barge was lighter than what he was expecting. A bump made him yelp, but he realized that it was just the barge.

Ten Cents and Sunshine watched Zug try to haul the barge, and they were struggling to not laugh. "They don't know what's in there!" Sunshine chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Zip asked, steaming up them. "I noticed you all looked so quiet."

Ten Cents silenced Zip, and then told him what was happening. "It's for Zug's sake. He's been way too off ever since he's been with Zak."

"Gotcha." Zip replied. He watched the Coast Guard follow close behind, followed by Big Mac and Warrior. "Do you think those guys will win?"

Meanwhile, Zug had evaded the switchers and was close to the hideout. However, he turned around to see the messenger. "It's probably just a motorboat." He said to himself, and steamed on. After a few yards, he turned to see that the messenger was still behind him. Zug panicked, and put pressure on his engine to speed up. After half an hour, he arrived at the hideout. "Zak look!" He said with a smile.

"Excellent!" Zak smirked, feeling proud of what he had Zug do. "What's with the tarp though?"

"Maybe to keep the parts from rusting." Zug remarked. He didn't notice that Grampus was close by and hearing everything that he and Zak were saying. "Maybe it could be expensive machinery under that tarp instead of parts."

"Who cares about the tarp. We can just sell the parts for money and get enough to fix my engine. Soon, we'll be a force to be reckoned with." Zak chuckled. "Now undo the lines and put the barge over there, next to the coal barge."

Zug did as he was told, and hurried over to place the barge next to some other barges he and Zak had stolen. At the corner of his eye, he noticed the same motorboat he had seen. "Don't you think someone's watching us?" He asked, starting to become shaky.

"Nah." Zak replied. "This place is difficult for multiple tugs to travel at one time." However, he quickly spotted the motorboat near the entrance. "It's just a lousy motorboat Zug, what could go wrong?" He said, steaming out of his hideout to scare off the intruder. Zug trailed close behind, worried that his boss would beat him again. The moment Zak got outside, he saw the Coast Guard and Grampus standing side by side.

"Zak and Zug, you are under arrest!" The Coast Guard shouted. "We have been getting reports of missing barges for months, and now we have sufficient evidence to hand you two over to the Navy."

"The messenger and I followed Zug over here. What I heard should be plenty." Grampus said, watching Zak become apprehensive. Then, with a sly grin, he said, "You might want to take a look at the barge you had Zug take."

"It's bullshit officer!" Zak pleaded, wanting to save his own keel. "Zug's been the one stealing the barges and should be arrested, not _me_!" A loud "we've been tricked" drew his attention to Zug, and he turned to see that the barge he sent Zug to go steal did not contain the engine parts or the machinery. Instead, the barge was full of rusted out car parts and some wood. He now turned back to the Coast Guard and said "It's clearly a misunderstanding-"

"Ye won't be getting away with it this time Zak!" Big Mac shouted, steaming into the scene. "We haven't seen ya touch a single barge or escort a single schooner ever since Zebedee had his accident. What does that say about yer credibility?"

Warrior trailed close behind Big Mac, and he too was serious. He spotted some coal barges and he immediately recognized them. "Hey, that's ours! We were supposed to deliver 'em a few days ago." He said, starting to get angry.

"Big Mac, Warrior, it's all a misunderstanding!" Zak started, but he was sweating profusely. "You really expect me to do all that? I didn't touch a single barge like you said. Zug took these and wanted to respect Zorran's memory! He's too obsessed with the-"

"No. More. Games." Big Mac snapped, getting dangerously close to Zak's bow. "Zug would've blasted his engine towing some of those barges all by himself."

"That's why Zak took some of 'em- _SCHEISSE_!" Zug said, cursing when he realized his mistake. Now he and Zak were really going to get in trouble.

For the first time in years, Zak felt fear at what was to come. If he and Zug were indeed arrested, there was a good chance that he would be auctioned for scrap. Or worse, executed for his crimes. The words Hercules told him echoed in his mind, and the Z Stack realized that his time had likely come. "Over my dead body!" Zak shouted, smashing into the Coast Guard before hurrying off.

"Oi!" Big Mac shouted, trying to throw his lines at the renegade tug. Grampus quickly went under, not wanting to get sunk. "You're not getting away Zak!"

"That's where you're wrong Star Stack. I always do get away!" Zak spat, exerting pressure into his engine. He sped past Big Mac and Warrior before both harbor tugs had time to block them.

"What about me?" Zug asked, trying to inch forward. He too did not want to get arrested, and he wanted a way out

"I'm sorry Zug." Zak said, but there was a hint of mischief in the way he spoke. "But you outstayed your welcome. Auf Wiedersehen!" With that, he steamed off into the harbor in an effort to find a out of Bigg City.

"Warrior, stay here with Zug and the Coast Guard!" Big Mac ordered. "I gotta make sure Zak doesn't make it to the estuary. Or worse, Up River." He hurried out of the canals and into the busy harbor, quickly spotting Zak amongst the traffic. Big Mac narrowly avoided some pleasure boats, and watched as Zak slinked into some canals. "Damn!" He said to himself. He turned to see that Warrior was with Zug and the Coast Guard, and groaned in disappointment. "We gotta make sure Zak doesn't leave this city. If he does, it's all over."

Zak, meanwhile, was trying to evade capture. He had stolen a coal barge and stashed some of his remaining money into it, but the weight of the barge meant he had to exert power. Although he was trying to sneak through the canals without drawing the attention of the other Star Tugs, his engine was protesting. White smoke started to billow out of his hull, a telltale sign that things would go wrong. "I gotta find a way to get out of here!" He thought, not knowing where he was going. He spotted Top Hat with Frank and Eddie, and realized that he was doomed. He quickly changed direction to avoid the railway tug, and spotted a path that led towards Up River. "Maybe I can be a river tug and start anew there!" He said to himself, but he panicked upon hearing a distinct two-toned whistle. One of the Star Tugs must have spotted him! With no options remaining, the harbor tug steamed towards the river. As he sailed, the current was making it difficult for him to haul the barge. "If I can just get past Mittsville, I can bring back the Z Stacks!" He said to himself, and he pressed on.

At the same time, Ten Cents was towing a timber barge to one of the villages after delivering some barges in Mittsville. He spotted a vessel out in the distance, and noticed the distinct burgundy paint. "What's the bloke doing up here?" He asked himself. However, he figured that it must have been some other tug and not Zak.

The distinct thrums of his engine were echoing throughout the riverland, and Zak was struggling to make sure he wouldn't get caught by Big Mac or one of the other Star Tugs. The pressure put on his engine combined with the river was making the task of hauling the barge almost impossible. Thick black smoke started to billow out of his engine room, and Zak started to suffocate. To make matters worse, the smoke was making it difficult for him to see. Zak cursed and tried to move forward once more, but he spotted a maroon tug in the distance. "What the fuck?" He shouted, and tried to stop. With a loud explosion, Zak's engine had finally failed. He tried to scream for help, but it was immediately muffled. Cinders and flames escaped out of his stack, and and a massive hole blasted open in the center of his body. Pieces of his framey were thrown into the riverbed as well as the barge, and some stray embers coming where his engine once was set it alight. While all of this was happening, Zak rammed into some rocks and got stuck.

Ten Cents heard the explosion and jolted in shock and fear. The urge to go reap started kicking in, but he was mortified. He couldn't come down the river and put someone out of their misery, it wasn't in his nature! "I can't continue doing this Charon!" He shouted to no one in particular, trying to resist. "I just can't!"

"You best have a look Tenny." Charon's voice came into his mind and said. It sounded blunt and to the point, unlike the other times Ten Cents heard it. "Once we're done, Bigg City will have one less crook to worry about."

With hesitation, Ten Cents sailed down the river. After several yards, he spotted the burnt out remains of Zak settled amongst the rocks. Zak was almost completely unrecognizable, as his body was mangled in the explosion. His face was also badly burned, and flesh had melted away to reveal bits of a proper wheelhouse. "What happened?" Ten Cents asked, but his question was quickly answered when he spotted some stray dollar bills floating on the surface of the water.

""Now you get my point?" Charon sneered, his familiar tug form manifesting in the water below. "He's been trying to steal money all for himself, but he paid the price! Ironic, isn't it?"

Ten Cents became apprehensive. It was truly a terrible sight to behold, and he inched back in fear. He didn't want to let Charon do the deed of putting Zak out of his misery, but Zak had been causing enough problems for the Star Tugs and making Zug teeter to the point of insanity. Suddenly, Zak started wheezing in an effort to breathe. "How's he still alive!?" The switcher exclaimed, and tried to close his eyes.

At that moment, Charon took control of Ten Cents's body. "It's all over now." He said to Zak, smoke billowing out of his stack. With not a second to spare, the smoke sharpened and went straight for the harbor tug's burning hull. Zak let out a pained gasp before closing his eyes and going limp.

A loud two-toned whistle caught Charon's attention, and Ten Cents found himself in control of his own body again. However, he was in a state of shock. Did he just witness Charon kill Zak? If someone caught them, it would be all over. Ten Cents looked up, and was surprised to see Hercules. "Hercules, you need to leave." He pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes. "I just-"

Hercules said nothing, but he steamed up to the switcher. He was clearly concerned, as a tug as young as Ten Cents should not go through these experiences. He tried composing himself, but it was too tempting to break down and grieve beside his friend. "I am so sorry." He somberly whispered. "I'll explain to the others what happened to Zak."

"Will they view me as a monster?" The switcher asked, looking at Hercules. "I _killed_ him. I don't want to-"

"Don't cry Ten." Hercules replied, knowing that the Star Tugs would soon arrive to see a scene of devastation. "Get the Fire Tug. He shouldn't be too far from where we're at."

Ten Cents wanted to stay at his spot, but Hercules had a point. He undid the lines to his timber barges and hurried back up the river to go and alert the Fire Tug. However, he was still worried. Would his fellow Stars see him as a monster? They likely didn't see him and Charon do the deed, but there was still the small likelihood that they did.

* * *

It was just after midnight, and Zak's burned out remains were still wedged on the river. The Fire Tug had finished putting out the flames, but it was too risky to prepare Zak's body for a final trip to the breaker's yard. Within the charred metal came a small flickering light. Moments later, Zak's soul emerged. "What happened?" He asked himself, slowly opening his eyes. He noticed that no one was around, and then it hit on him that he had died. That meant he was free from his engine troubles! With a groan, he tried to move out of his body and onto a place where he could pass on in peace. However, relief turned to panic when he felt that he wasn't moving. Zak looked down and noticed that there were chains wrapped around his bow. Then, he looked up and gasped.

There, in the distance, was Hercules. And it looked like he was all too happy to see Zak looking like this...


	14. Chapter 13: Condemned

**I live! I worked the holidays, and have been struggling with finding a way to continue this story (curse you motivation!). Luckily, I found time to write this new chapter. Happy New Years!**

"How the hell can you see me?" Zak asked Hercules, raising an eyebrow. For whatever reason, Hercules's body language suggested that he was very relaxed when he should have been frightened. Perhaps the ocean tug was sensitive to the supernatural, and could see ghosts such as Zak. Wanting to intimidate the other, Zak shouted, "I'm dead! Blown to smithereens! Get lost!"

Instead of a proper response, Zak watched as Hercules began to slowly back away. Perhaps the ocean tug got the hint and decided to leave. However, within seconds, the chains began to tighten! Was this some kind of joke? Zak snarled and tried moving in an effort to free himself, but it was all in vain. The moment he tried to push forward, some new chains sprang up from the water and started to wrap around him.

Meanwhile, Hercules had stopped only just a few feet away and was watching the events transpiring before him with great interest. "You know trying to break free from the chains is useless, right Zak?" He asked, examining how the chains were cleverly wrapped around Zak's body. With a playful chuckle, he added, "Keep at it sweetheart, I'm enjoying the view."

"YOU SICK BASTARD!" Zak called out, trying to break free of the ghastly chains. Now that really pushed him to his limit. "You're just gonna tighten the grip and treat me like a whore, aren't ya?!"

"I was very disappointed when I couldn't reap your brother, Zak. However, you're a suitable replacement." Hercules chuckled, but the words he uttered were not his own. Given what the Z Stack had done in life, he had deserved this. To feel the pain that he put Zebedee, Sunshine, and even Zug and Zip through.

"You tried to kill Zebedee? You wipe that shit eating grin off your face or I'll do it for ya! Now help me!" Zak snapped, the chains now making a considerable dent to his stern. He bit his lip and tried in one last attempt to break free of the chains, but the pain his soul was enduring becoming too great to bear. To his shock, he noticed that Hercules was being _engulfed_ by the fog. Oh that was it! He thought, and he tried pulling himself with enough force. However, at that moment, he screamed in pain as he felt his stack crack.

Hades now stood in the place of Hercules and smiled wickedly at Zak, feeling quite pleased with himself. He had his prey within feet in front of him, and now it was time to have some fun. "You're really that desperate, aren't you?" He asked, amused by the way Zak was feeling. He was still resisting of course, but the demonic tug had one unplayed card, one that could make Zak break. "Say Zak, I know a friend of yours who was in the same position as you. He couldn't fathom being chained and tortured on a daily basis, so I was merciful."

Zak's first impression was being unbound from the chains and run away from Hades, but the grip on his hull only tightened. He noticed filthy black smoke start to billow from Hades's stack, and he quickly realized that he was lied to. He was about to throw an insult when his attention was diverted to a distinct face that had formed in the smoke. Almost immediately, his eyes widened. "ZORRAN!? What are ya doing in there?"

"I won't go into details Zak." Hades purred, glancing at Zorran's soul. "Let's just say that he was reckless and paid dearly. I tortured him sufficiently, don't you think?"

Zak started to quiver in fear, as he certainly did not want to suffer eternity with a demon. Especially if the demon looked like Hercules. "Zorran, save me!" He said, feeling the chains tighten once more. However, Zorran gave no response. He didn't even bother to look at his dead comrade, and turned to face Hades instead. "We were fleetmates in life Zorran! I don't want to be beaten up by Star Stack for all eternity!"

"You want Zorran to save you? Pathetic." Hades taunted, inching closer to Zak. "Zorran can't even hear you cry. He's all mine, and your tiny addled mind can't comprehend it."

As Hades spoke, Zak turned back to Zorran and noticed ice. Zorran grit his teeth, but he let out a pained scream as chunks of ice began to break through his hull! "Dammit Hades!" He shouted.

"Stop it! Zorran doesn't deserve that!" Zak pleaded, mortified by the sight. "Lay one more touch, and I'll end ya."

"Lucky for me, I already broke him." Hades smiled, quickly dislodging the ice from Zorran's hull. "Since you're so concerned for dear Zorran here, why don't you take him in? Do keep in mind that he's quite the screamer."

Zak felt the chains' grip lighten up, and he looked up to see that Zorran was freed from the ice. "He didn't hurt ya too badly, right Zorran?" He asked, seeing that Zorran was slowly floating towards him. However, it looked like Zorran was still in pain. "Aren't-"

"YOU. FUCKING. IDIOT." Zorran roared, ramming his body into Zak. "You claimed you wanted to lead the fleet one day, yet what did you do after I died? You sulked like a fucking baby and made Zebedee charge of the fleet." Zak was alarmed and tried to utter an apology, but Zorran would have none of that. "You tried to kill Zeb when things went south, set Zug on a path to his own destruction, and shattered what little stability Zip had!" With a strong shove, he asked, "Is that your fucking idea of leadership!?"

Zak tried to withstand Zorran's blows, but it was a losing battle. "He's forcing you to say those things Zorran." He snapped, now trying to put up one last stand. "Snap out of it and get me outta here! C'mon, Zero wouldn't approve this sort of shit!"

"I know you better than you know yourself Zak. You would have committed mutiny even if I was still alive!" Zorran spat, the urge to tear Zak to pieces coursing within his being. "And knowing you, you'd break the kids' minds because you felt you were too weak compared to me and Zebedee. That isn't being a leader Zak, that's being a tyrant! A parasite!"

The moment Zorran said "parasite", Zak froze. Memories of his old fleet started to come back, and he remembered being called a parasite by a worker due to his bad engine. He tried to speak up, but tears started to trickle down his cheeks. For the first time in his existence, Zak truly felt what it was like to be a failure.

"Now we're on the same page, aren't we Zak? You barely have a taste of what I've been enduring since I fucking died and decide to come crawling to me for sympathy?" Zorran asked, ignoring Zak's loud sobbing as he struck him again. "Fuck. You. You deserve everything I've been through and more. You're dead to me."

Hades grinned as he watched Zak's emotions change from anger to shock to defeat, and he knew he had won. "Pride comes before the fall Zak." He simply stated, and watched as Zak began to be engulfed by the thick black smoke. The smoke dissipated, and Hercules was now in control. He tried to process what Hades had done, but that concern was put aside when he spotted the rising sun in the horizon. With great haste, he hurried away from the scene.

* * *

The next morning, Zebedee awoke to find workmen getting off of his body. He was confused, and with a groan, turned to see that a couple the Star Tugs were there. "Whaddya guys want?" He asked, not in the mood to speak.

"You're being put off of dry dock Zebedee!" OJ explained, gesturing to some cranes. "Once you're refloated, you should be able to start working again!"

"And what, so I get left for dead a second time?" Zebedee snarled, looking away from OJ. "I've heard enough about Zak wanting to take my life. Bastard didn't even want to lead the fleet in the first place, but decides I'll take the-"

"Zebedee, Zak is dead." Big Mac interrupted. "He blew out his engine trying to flee the authorities."

Zebedee looked up at Big Mac, wanting to doubt the other tug's claim. "I know I heard somethin' about an explosion coming from Up River yesterday." He said. "Was Zak caught in it?"

"He was." Big Mac confirmed, looking down at the water. "All that's left of him is some burned out steel. Warrior and I are takin' his remains to the breaker's yard this afternoon."

"Good." Zebedee bluntly said. However, something started to press on his mind. He knew he had seen Zip, but Zug was strangely absent. He now started to show worry, and be asked, "Where's Zug?"

"Zug… is with the Coast Guard." OJ answered with a frown.

" _ **WHAT!?"**_ Zebedee asked, and it was clear that he was visibly angry. "I've been in this yard for who knows how long and you guys didn't stop him from getting arrested?"

"Calm down Zebedee!" Big Mac pleaded. "Ye need to listen to us about-"

"Forget it!" Zebedee snapped. Meanwhile, he was finally placed down in the water. "I gotta get there and ask what's going on."

"Don't push yourself Zebedee." OJ said, trying to ease the harbor tug's nerves. "You just got placed off dry dock. No need to jump to conclusions just yet!"

Zebedee ignored OJ and watched as he was being supplied with coal. He had to get to Zug, he had to. He knew Zug was stupid, but he often protected him from Zorran and Zak's blows. Once the coal barge was empty, he stoked his fire and hurried away.

Elsewhere in the harbor, Zug was lost in his thoughts. He was due to be transferred to the Navy for a proper trial, and he worried about what was to happen. Would he be simply imprisoned, or face death? The Navy prisons were supposedly brutal, but their methods of execution were just as worse. A loud whistle caught his attention, and he looked up to see Zebedee steaming in. "Zebedee, you're here!" He said with with a smile. Perhaps he could finally get out and start life as a normal tug again! "Please, the Coast Guard has been keeping me here in awful conditions."

Zebedee said nothing and steamed into the dock.. However, he wisely stopped a few yards away from the switcher. His attention turned to some dents and scrapes along Zug's body, and he started to show concern. "What happened?" He asked.

Zug wanted to pin the blame on the Star Tugs, as bringing up Zak would certainly get him killed. However, he worried that Zebedee would catch him in his lies. Now to save face and make himself innocent. "I got into an accident hauling some barges." He started. "I got sent to Lucky's for repairs."

"That's bullshit Zug, I didn't see ya come there even once." Zebedee said, not believing what Zug said. He then examined the injuries and added, "Those weren't caused by an accident. They were intentionally inflicted. Now Zug, what really _did_ happen?"

Zug was dumbstruck, and he frantically tried to come up with an answer. However, he was running out of options. "Zak forced me into working for him! He beat me if I screwed up." He mumbled, starting to inch back. "Please Zebedee, you have to believe me!"

"You did _what_?" The reason why Zug was arrested was now clearly explained. Zebedee was livid, and it was tempting to go over and smash Zug against the dock. Maybe sink him too. "I protected your ass from Zorran and Zak countless times, and how did you return the favor? You sided with my own brother and tried to kill me!"

"He forced me to though! I didn't want to go with it!" Zug pleaded, but he was sweating profusely. "I don't wanna die!"

"Zug, what you and Zak did was mutiny!" Zebedee roared, looking right into Zug's eyes. "You were still grieving over Zorran, which was why Zak took advantage of ya! We Zeds might have been placed with the Stars, but we never turn on another."

Zug was struggling to process the information, but he was still contentious. "Zak was right all along! Zebedee, the Stars brainwashed you!" He snapped. "Zorran would have never approved of you switching sides."

"He also wouldn't have approved of Zak turning you into his personal slave." The harbor tug snarled, inching dangerously close to Zug's bow. "He used you for his own greed, made you slave away while he reaped the profits. What part of 'used' do you not understand?"

Zug tried to speak, but he started to break down in tears. "Zebedee, I don't want to die! Please don't leave!"

Zebedee finally had enough. He knew it was going to hurt, but it was for the best. "You're no longer a Zed Stack to me Zug. I hope the Navy boys love you just as much as Zak did." He said, and he slowly went in reverse. Amidst Zug's sobbing, Zebedee turned around and sailed away.

* * *

At the same time, Ten Cents was sitting alone in the harbor. The circumstances of Zak's death were playing in his mind, especially as he witnessed Charon take control and put the burning harbor tug out of his misery. Tears began to trickle down his cheeks as he thought more and more about the murder. However, he had to keep a straight head and focus on his work. He tied some of his bow lines to some nearby cleats, wanting to spend some time in his own thoughts.

Hercules was on his way to do some contracts down the coast when he spotted Ten Cents. Perhaps it was unwise to be talking, but the ocean tug wanted to be kind. He quietly steamed up to Ten Cents, not wanting to disturb him. "Are you alright Ten Cents?" He asked in a quiet voice.

Ten Cents frowned and looked away, as he was too uncomfortable to speak. However, Hercules had a way of making someone like himself open up. "You shouldn't be here." He started, everything now spilling out. "I tried to stop him, but Charon took control of my body. He's been doing this for months."

Hercules was concerned, and it was clear that Ten Cents was going through a lot. Then with a heavy sigh, he said, "Ten Cents, I suppose it's finally time we discussed Charon. When Hades cured you of your plague, a piece of him had likely made its way into you. Then as you and Sunshine were snooping into my affairs, Hades… developed a desire to make you beck and call to him. To make you his eyes and ears of the harbor per say."

Ten Cents was mortified. He knew that Hades preferred to do his work without interference, and he felt that too in Charon. However, his motives struck a chord in his soul. "Why couldn't you stop him though?" He asked, glaring at the ocean tug. "He's a petty bastard if you ask me."

"He kept that desire a secret from me for months." Hercules answered, looking away from Ten Cents. "I didn't find out until you nearly died saving me from Timberwolf. I would have stopped him from making you one of his own, but it was a difficult situation. As a result of Charon coming about, it seems our minds are linked."

"I would have been spared so much pain and suffering if you became more firm." The switcher pointed out. "You're firm with us yes, but it might not be enough for Hades." He was rightfully furious, but it was pointless to argue. He undid his lines from the cleats and quietly sailed away, leaving a sorrowful Hercules behind.

As he sailed to do some contract work, he noticed some Navy vessels steaming towards the Coast Guard's dock. He then spotted Sunshine sailing right next to him, and he knew then and there that the issue was serious. "Oi Sun, what's going on over there?" He asked, looking down at his friend. "It's not common to see Navy vessels up here these days."

"The Navy's decided to give Zug a full trial." Sunshine replied, looking clearly concerned for Zug. "Zug's way too young to be getting sunk or locked up with a bunch of other criminals. Perhaps they've come here to take him away."

Ten Cents was troubled, but something inside him was telling him that Zug deserved it. He figured it was Charon's influence, as the Reaper loved to mess with the switcher. "What happens if charges are dropped against him?" He suggested, scenarios running through his head. "Would he even be welcomed back?"

"Who knows?" Sunshine mused. "I know Zip would have mixed feelings. Zebedee on the other hand. He might not have known that Zug was workin' with Zak."

"I bet Zebedee's gonna be pretty suspicious." Ten Cents added. Then, a thought came into his head. "Would Starr even sell Zug to a broker?"

"Perhaps. He's not been himself for the past few months." Sunshine answered. "Or he'll straighten out now that Zak's gone."

As they were talking, Ten Cents noticed that the Navy vessels were sailing away with Zug in tow. "So they're gonna try him after all." He remarked, and tears started to well up. "That poor tug…"

"Don't cry Ten, we did everything we could to help him." Sunshine whispered, gently nudging his friend. "Sometimes, it might be best to let time do its thing."

"I suppose you're right." Ten Cents said, now focusing on Sunshine. "C'mon, we gotta deliver the barges as Starr asked."

* * *

The Navy's larger facility was located down the coastline, and it was used to try vessels who had been arrested for criminal activity. Many of the vessels kept there were of unsavory repute, ranging from the mere rum runner to the ruthless mobster. It was no place for a switcher like Zug to be placed there, but the circumstances called for it. The Navy vessels sent to escort Zug knew it was cruel, but they took it as mere orders.

"We will need to stop and refuel at our Bigg City facility first." The first Navy vessel said, glancing at Zug. "We'd normally go for hours, but it looks like you're not made for long distances. We'll make sure you have enough coal for the journey."

"Stop giving him the look Zug. You made the choice to be friends with the notorious Zak and look what that's done." The second vessel said, but his tone suggested that he was taunting the switcher. "You can't even make the proper decision without someone sticking by you."

The words stung, and Zug was indignant. 'Perhaps it's time to give these guys a lesson.' He said to himself, and he wondered how to escape. An idea popped into his head, and he started to throw himself in reverse in an effort to at least make the task of towing him impossible.

"Hey!" The first vessel said, trying to press forward. "You can't do that! I still got a few lines tied to ya!"

The second vessel tried to stop Zug, but his own lines started to become frayed. Then, he gasped as the lines snapped. "Stop him! I've been cut off!"

For the first time in his life, Zug felt he had done something successful. Success quickly became fear, as he knew that the Navy would be onto him for sure. He cut off the first vessel's lines and hurried away back into Bigg City. The Navy tugs were in hot pursuit, and they could easily catch up to the switcher and corner him. Zug exerted pressure into his engine, and he hurried towards an old dockyard that had not been used in a long time.

"STOP!" The first vessel called out, but he panicked when he noticed that he was heading towards some pilings. He tried to kill his engine, but he rammed the pilings at great speed.

The second vessel was now tailing Zug, determined to catch him. However, he too was not as lucky, as Zug suddenly made a sharp turn. The vessel tried to stop, but he made contact with some more pilings.

"Finally I'm free!" Zug said, showing no remorse for what he had done. The Navy vessels would probably have to be rescued, but the tide would also worsen their injuries. Zug spotted a warehouse and slipped inside.

Hours passed, and Zug was still in the warehouse. He had fallen asleep, and was unaware of what was happening. Outside, the two Navy vessels had become rather weak due to their injuries. Then, all at once, the area became enveloped in fog. A loud scream forced Zug awake, and he slowly steamed out of the warehouse to see what was happening. Then, he saw it happen. A large tug had called forth smoke from his stack, and he quickly thrusted it into the helpless Navy vessel.

"Is… is that Hercules?" Zug asked himself, alarmed to see that the tug's body was rather slender. His observations were soon confirmed when he recognized Hercules's shape in the distance. "He does have demon powers! I was right!" He thought, now knowing it was too dangerous to stay out. He hurried back inside and closed his eyes, hoping that Hercules would soon be gone.

* * *

A week had passed since Zak's death and Zug's daring escape, and Bigg City was slowly starting to heal from their reign of terror. The Star Tugs were being kept busy with work, and Zebedee and Zip were called in to assist. At the Star Dock, Hercules waiting for Captain Starr. He figured it was because of a contract or something pertaining to Zug's disappearance, but he was surprised to see the Captain open the door and walk down towards the pier. "Something on your mind Captain?" Hercules politely asked.

Captain Starr nodded, and he soon climbed aboard his ocean tug. He sat down on the neatly coiled lines and answered, "Many things actually. I know I usually pull you aside for advice, but this is serious. Ever since Zebedee woke up, I've been contemplating adding him to the Fleet."

Hercules was taken back by the answer. "It might be best to do so, especially since his repairs were costly." He said, looking at Captain Starr. "I approve of this, but if you do purchase Zebedee, you have to purchase Zip too. Zip needs Zebedee in order to transition into normal life."

Captain Starr looked up at his lead tug, but there were some concerns. "What you've done with Zip was truly honorable, and it's surprising to see him grow grow and learn. However, I don't think I am financially capable of buying two tugs in one setting considering the costs of Zebedee's repairs."

"I know you're not made of money Captain." Hercules frowned. "But, Zip will be left alone if he gets sold. Possibly get preyed on by his new fleet mates for being a Zed."

"I suppose that would inevitably happen." Captain Starr added. "And I agree with you that it would be cruel to separate Zip from Zebedee considering his mental state." After a minute of thinking, he stood up and said, "I think I've made my decision. Thank you."

"No worries sir." Hercules replied, watching his Captain disembark. He then set off to get ready for some towing contracts, as he knew that the Fleet needed a lot of money to purchase the two former Z Stacks. Along the way, he had the feeling that someone was watching him. He shrugged it off as nothing out of the ordinary and sailed on, unaware that Zug was trailing behind him…

* * *

That evening, Zip was helping some crab fishing vessels out to sea when he spotted a vessel heading towards him. He was bewildered, but he tried to blast his hooter in hopes that the vessel would stop. He was surprised to hear that the vessel answered back, and that the vessel sounded like Zug! "What are you doing here?" He asked, calling out to the smaller switcher.

"I need some help towing this barge." Zug replied, being forced to shout as the distance was great. "It's little heavy you see."

Zip knew that the Navy wanted Zug's head, but he was still a friend. Or so he thought. "Zug, I can't help ya out. What if I get arrested?" He asked.

Zug then got closer, and he was hauling a barge was shown to be filled with ropes and old wood pilings. "Not unless we kill the fucker." He said, and Zip could notice that Zug's speech had become incredibly slurred.

"Wait… who do you wanna kill exactly?" Zip asked, raising an eyebrow. "The sparks from your stack might set the barge alight."

"Hercules. I saw him kill some vessels last week." Zug answered. "C'mon, we gotta stop him for good."

Zip became apprehensive. While Hercules said that Zug had seen things, Zug did sound enticing. "I gotta help these guys out first." He said, becoming uncomfortable.

"This is more important!" Zug said. "You either help me, or I gotta do this myself."

"So you plan on sticking the barge in him? Feels like a big thorn if you ask me." Zip said, smiling sheepishly.

"So you haven't changed then, huh?" Zug huffed. "Looks like I'll be doing this myself then. Maybe get Zebedee to accept me again." With that, he set out towards the open sea.

Lillie Lightship was out and about, guiding vessels into Bigg City Port. Her movement was rather slow this particular night, and her light was hidden somewhat by the fog. Zug squinted his eyes, and was alarmed. "So that must be Hercules!" He said, confident his target was in sight. He hurriedly realigned his barge into a battering ram, and started to pick up speed.

Meanwhile, Lillie was looking for any vessels coming towards her. However, she heard an engine thrumming loudly. She tried to pick up on who it was, but was alarmed to see Zug heading towards her! "What the!?" She gasped, and blasted her horn.

Zug's eyes widened and he tried to stop in his tracks. However, it was too late. He rammed right into her, causing considerable damage to her port side. Her light flickered off and on, and Zug realized he was in trouble. "I'm sorry Lillie." He said, shyly inching away from where he rammed Lillie. "It's just that Hercules could be anywhere and I have to stop him."

"Pardon?" Lillie asked, trying to comprehend what Zug was saying. "You deliberately _tried_ to kill me! How does Hercules equate to all this?"

"I saw him kill some Navy vessels." Zug answered, but was disappointed to see that Lillie did not believe him. "Please Lillie, he can murder all of Bigg City!"

"Perhaps the account was fabricated by you. The Navy found their vessels dead at an old harbor, and were convinced you killed him." Lillie pointed out.

Zug was trying to come up with another counter argument when he heard whistles he did not want to hear. He turned to see that the Coast Guard had heard Lillie's horn, and he was not pleased to say the very least. "Zug, back away from Lillie Lightship this instant." He ordered, not wanting a confrontation.

"Or what?" Zug asked, becoming incredibly nervous. "You're making a mistake arresting me!"

"I saw everything Zug. You attempted murder!" The Coast Guard retorted. "Now calm down and back off from Lillie."

While all of this was happening, Hercules steamed into the scene. He examined the damage, and his face became serious. "That is enough Zug." He said. "Ramming into the lightship hm? The Navy is going to be pleased with the assault charge brought up."

"Zug, you are under arrest." The Coast Guard ordered. "Undo the lines to the barge and I will take you into port."

At that moment, Zug pushed aside his concerns and any other fears he had. "You're why my friends think I'm dead to them!" He shouted, and started to build up steam. "You ruined my life with your magic demon powers!"

"Zug, stop!" The Coast Guard shouted, but Zug was becoming too dangerous for his own good. "Hercules throw your lines!"

Hercules nodded, and threw his lines at Zug's aft bollards. "Easy Zug, I just need you to stop." He said, but Zug tried swatting them away.

Zug let out a shout, and looked like he was going backwards in fear. However, without warning, he lunged forward towards the mighty ocean tug. Ropes went flying, and one rope smacked Hercules right on the cheek. Meanwhile, his bow struck Hercules's own bow, causing a dent. Realizing he needed more force to sink his foe, Zug tried to inch back and prepare for a second strike. Hercules's demeanor had changed, and he finally had enough. He felt something surge within him, and he lunged forward with all his might.

Zug's eyes widened, and he tried to hurry away. However, he felt Hercules ram at him at such incredible speed he felt his body start to crack...


End file.
